


Business Proposal

by thepastelforestprince



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: (except it's arranged by them), Arranged Marriage, Kylo Amidala, M/M, More tags to be added, Naboo customs and culture, Slow Romance, Snoke Being a Dick, lothcats, partial angst but don't worry, rating will not go up
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-04
Updated: 2017-05-31
Packaged: 2018-09-14 16:38:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 28,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9193751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thepastelforestprince/pseuds/thepastelforestprince
Summary: Sir General Hux is sent to Naboo to negotiate with the current ruler, Prince Kylo Amidala. He gets more than he bargained for, which isn't a bad thing.





	1. Sudden proposal

It was the time of the year where everything came to life again, flowers blooming and gracing the world with their beautiful hues of golden, crimson, cobalt, whatever it happened to be. The trees grew their foliage once and bore exotic fruits or nuts, the grass growing much too fast, but such was the way of Naboo. The skies were beautifully blue, the only other color being the fluffy white of the clouds that passed through. In the distance, you could see mountains and mountains and…. _mountains_.

The many waterfalls had finally unfrozen, the sound of the rushing water hitting the rocks hypnotic, the feeling of the mist cooling. Winding rivers could be seen, as well as multiple lakes full of beautifully clear water.  Hux had spent most of his life on ships and star destroyers, or Arkanis, which was always gloomy and depressing. Rain was fun when it wasn’t _every day_.

The sunlight was something almost alien to him. He wasn’t particularly sure if he liked it or not, but this trip wasn’t for sightseeing, but rather, for a conference with the current ruler of Naboo. He hadn’t been given any particular information except for his name; Kylo Amidala. The vast majority of the previous rulers of Naboo had “Amidala” as a surname, which is why it hadn’t surprised Hux. “Kylo”, however, was an unusual name to Hux that felt strangely right on his tongue when he said it.

Hux himself was rather a rarity to most, on account of his red hair. It was rare. Some people had made snide comments about it, others had looked at him like he was some sort of exotic beast from the depths of a forest somewhere off on some distant planet. He didn’t care either way. Theed was vast, but it was obvious where the palace was. Gigantic ivory towers with an almost mint green roof, followed by a gold spike on top. They were round in shape, except for a few that were more cylindrical. The other buildings in Theed looked similar, but smaller in size.

The customs there were ludicrous to Hux, the fashion gaudy and unnecessary. A waste of money if you asked him, but nobody asked him, and he didn’t tell. He kept most of his thoughts to himself, unless he absolutely couldn’t stop himself from sneaking a snarky comment or a witty response. It was one of his most favorite things to do, and the look on the unfortunate victim’s face always got him laughing. They almost always seemed shocked, as if they thought Hux was some sort of rock that had no sense of humor. He enjoyed proving them wrong.

The man (was he even man? Hux didn’t know, nor did he care to find out) he worked for was a decrepit miserable beast that made everyone else miserable if he didn’t have his way, exactly _how_ and _when_ he wanted it. He reminded Hux rather of a spoiled toddler. And he seemed to take Hux to be rather a simpleton, or incompetent, as he always made a grand deal of acting shocked when Hux completed his tasks, even though he did every time without fail. It was obnoxious, and insulting to both Hux’s intelligence and capability.

But that didn’t matter now, and Hux had things to do that were much more important than thinking about such petty things. His polished black boots clicked against the cobblestone pathway that led to the towering green doors of the palace. He felt anxious and rather fidgety, which was unusual all in itself. He desperately wanted a cigarra but he was patient and could wait until after this nonsense was all over. He wore a simple but elegant black suit, adorned with gold medals and chains that were connected to both sides of his chest. His hair was slicked back as usual.

 

One of the doors suddenly swung open, making him jump backwards with a rather undignified shout of alarm. A woman with a round pale painted face, gold eyeshadow and lipstick peered out at him. One of Amidala’s handmaidens, most likely. Her long wavy black hair made a lovely contrast with the paleness of the face paint, Hux thought. Her dress was white and floor length, a square piece of it cut off near her collarbone. At the bottom it was crimson and appeared to be made of feathery plumage of some sort.

She smiled at him apologetically, and he smiled back stiffly. “I apologize for scaring you, Sir General. Allow me to introduce myself; I am one of Prince Amidala’s handmaidens, you can call me Oré,” she said, bowing, her dress fanning out a bit around her as she did so. Her voice was soft and rather sweet.

“No need for apologies,” Hux said good-heartedly, managing a small laugh. She ushered him in, the door making a small “boom” as it was closed, making Hux jolt again. Hux looked around at the vastness of the room. There were many paintings of past rulers of Naboo on the walls, the walls themselves a muted sort of combination of cream and yellow, curved red-brown stripes crossing across it.

The floor had a large red satin rug that looked strangely inviting to sit on. The ceiling held a large golden chandelier encrusted with crystals, or perhaps diamonds. The color of the ceiling was gold as well. Hux had a strange inkling that _maybe_ Amidala was fond of the color. Just a wild guess though, he snickered internally to himself. The floor was polished marble, white black and...gold..perfectly clean. Hux could probably eat off of it. He wouldn’t though. Some of the designs reminded Hux of the sun, others just seemed to be random designs, spirals, et cetera.

Hux sat himself down in a circular white chair, surprisingly comfortable even though it didn’t look like it would be. Oré smiled at him sweetly.

“His majesty will be down shortly, Sir General,” She murmured, bowing again, some of her flowing hair falling over her eyes, before disappearing quickly into one of the many doorways. Hux awkwardly drummed his fingers on his crossed leg, admiring the marble pillars that had flowers and vines carved into them. He had to admit, he liked the overall design of the place. Amidala had decent taste, at least.

While Hux was admiring the architecture of the palace, he hadn’t even noticed the beast that roamed in. Until he looked up, at least. Was that….? No, it couldn’t possibly be-yes, it was. A lothcat. It peered at him inquisitively, fluffy tail swishing back and forth. Weren’t they supposed to be feral?

“Sir General Hux. Thank you for gracing my palace with your presence,” A deep voice said curtly, making Hux snap out of his loth-cat induced staring trance. He looked up, and his breath caught. So this was Kylo Organa-Amidala. He was tall, muscular, a halo of curly black hair that went to his shoulders, partially concealed by a sheer crimson veil. His face was strange and beautiful, a mish-mash of features that contrasted in just the right way; full lips, almond shaped eyes that were amber. They almost seemed to glow. A prominent nose, arched eyebrows.

Hux gaped at him, forgetting all manners. It wasn’t entirely his fault, because nobody had told him that Kylo Amidala was _attractive_. He looked like he had been sculpted, statuesque, regal. Hux would like to have had personally thanked the sculptor.

“Your majesty,” Was all Hux was able to choke out, still in shock. Kylo smiled at him, and Hux’s heart jumped.

Kylo took the seat opposite him, the lothcat at his feet rumbling like a rusty engine. Now that Hux was (partially) out of his shock, he noticed Kylo was simply wearing a black crop-top with sleeves and a long silken black skirt. Minimalistic. Hux appreciated it, especially in this planet, which was known for over-the-top clothing. Kylo offered Hux his hand, and Hux’s brain scrambled to figure out whether he wanted it kissed or shaken. He delicately held Kylo’s hand, pressing a kiss on the obsidian ring on his middle finger, and Kylo smiled even more.

“I was just going to shake your hand, but I thank you for your graciousness, Sir General,” He murmured, amused, and then Hux offered his hand, which Kylo took, kissed with a cheeky smile. And then they properly shook hands, Hux admiring Kylo’s firm grip.

“You own a lothcat?” Hux asked, eyeing the rumbling little beast that nuzzled against Kylo’s boots.

“Yes. She’s a rescue,” Kylo murmured, staring down at her fondly, scratching her behind one of her large pointed ears. She released more content rusty engine noises.

“Care for some brandy?” Kylo said out of the blue, elegantly getting up, moving to the table next to Hux’s chair and bending down, taking a tiny key out of his pocket and unlocking a golden lock on one of the cabinet doors. He came up with Corellian brandy, Hux’s favorite, which was suspicious all in itself. Kylo poured them both a glass, Hux politely sipping his while studying Kylo, Kylo taking one big gulp, leaving about half of the spicy-sweet purple liquor left in his glass.

“I hope Oré didn’t give you too much of a scare,” Kylo said, absentmindedly swishing his glass, Hux smiling and reassuring him it was no problem.

“How many handmaidens do you have?” Hux asked conversationally, torn between staring at the beautiful man before him and the strange but adorable beast that sounded like an old engine at Kylo’s feet.

“Nine, as is the custom here. Every past ruler has had nine as well, including my Grandmother. I’m sure you’ve heard of her; Padmé Amidala,” Kylo said, and Hux choked on the sip of brandy he had been taking. Kylo looked at him with concern.

“ _The_ Padmé Amidala? The one that fought in the Clone Wars?” Hux asked, his brain trying to put the pieces of this new puzzle together.

“Yes. Goodness, if just that made you choke on your brandy, I’d hate to see what would happen if I told you who my mother was,” Kylo teased, boring into Hux with his amber eyes. Hux decided that it would be a question for later, and that they should finally get down to business.

“I come on account of my master, he seeks allies,” Hux blurted, scolding himself for the slip-up.

“I see,” Kylo said, cocking his head and studying Hux as Hux had a few minutes prior. Hux swallowed.

“I have a proposal of myself that would be rather beneficial for both of us,” Kylo said, playing with his skirt a bit.

 

“A marriage,” He continued, and this time Hux choked on air.

“Between who?” Hux wheezed, Kylo fighting a smile, but looking nonetheless sympathetic.

“Us, of course,” Kylo said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the galaxy.

“You’d have partial reign over Naboo, and access to our supplies and et cetera, I’d have an alliance with your master, he’d have an alliance with us,” Kylo explained, and Hux felt dizzy. Not because of the brandy, but because he had literally just been proposed to by a man he barely knew. Snoke had said by whatever means possible, so he supposed he was going to say yes. Not that being married to Kylo would be bad, he seemed like a very lovely, attractive person. Hux had always said he’d most likely be the one to marry out of convenience rather than love, apparently he had been right.

“I….yes,” Hux said, at a loss of words. He was truly confused, but if this was what he needed to complete his task, then so be it. He could’ve ended up in a worse situation with a far worse person.

“I’ll expect you back tomorrow to sort out the details with me and my court,” Kylo said, smiling at Hux, who smiled back almost reflexively at this point.

“But please, stay for dinner,” Kylo implored, getting up from his chair, offering his hand to a still very dizzy Hux, who took it gratefully. Kylo pulled him up effortlessly, the lothcat following suit as they headed towards one of the dark doorways that led to who-knows-where. All the while Hux was still processing the fact that he was engaged.


	2. Chapter 2

The hallway Kylo had led Hux into was lit by golden torches on the wall, flames serenely flickering in them as they passed through, combined footsteps clicking and echoing. Just how big was this palace? It would probably take Hux months to find his way around, let alone see every part of it.

Kylo’s lothcat impatiently brushed in front of Hux, taking stride beside Kylo. Territorial little thing, wasn’t it? Hopefully it would get used to Hux, because obviously he’d be living here. The hallway finally ended, opening up into a room even bigger than the last. Hux’s eyes flickered as he was led to a gigantic dark wooden table surrounded by comfortable plush chairs, the room lit by sunlight that streamed in from multiple windows, the billowy red broadcloth curtains drawn back and tied. The room red and gold in color. Well, at least when Hux bought him things he knew what color scheme to go after.

The table was filled with multiple clay pots of flowers. Fluffy yellow ones, a few roses and moonflowers, daisies. Bronze candelabras were put in-between them, with unlit new candles. It was pristinely set with pure white plates, napkins keld in silver napkin-holders, every knife, spoon and fork in proper place. A heavy chandelier swung slightly, the glass curving upward in a strangely intriguing design. The room smelled of roses and exotic Nabooian spices Hux remembered smelling in one of the food marketplaces when he had come over.

_“And I thought my parents were perfectionists,”_ Hux mused to himself, looking over every perfect detail of the set table as he sat in the red (again, what a shock) chair, Kylo choosing the seat closest to him.

“I know you’ve probably, well, _obviously_ noticed our color scheme of red and gold,” Kylo chuckled, folding his hands in his lap as he smiled. 

“I assume it has something to do with Nabooian customs,” Hux murmured in response, still unable to stop sneaking looks at the elegant man next to him. 

“You would be correct in that assumption,” Kylo laughed again. Such a melodic laugh he had, genuine and soft. It was infectious, the kind that made you laugh along too before you even realized it.

Out of the corner of his eye, Hux saw a young woman that wasn’t Oré peering in through the hallway at them, using the darkness of the hallway so as not to be seen. In Hux’s case she failed, but he didn’t mind. She was obviously curious, nothing more.

A rather tall man came out of the doorway directly in front of the table, presumably from the kitchen. He walked quickly but elegantly, not a hair out of place as he poured sweet-smelling wine into Kylo and Hux’s bronze chalices, before scurrying away as quick as he had come. Hux turned his attentions back to Kylo. He was so very interesting after all, radiating confidence and grace.

The kind of man Hux had wanted to be in his youth. Kylo could read people as Hux could, based off of facial expressions and body language. It was easy when you knew what to look for. He seemed to be seeing something that made him rather displeased, as the look on his face was worried, maybe even a little bit saddened. As if he could hear Hux’s recollections about the aspirations of his youth.

“Self love can take a very long time to attain, my dear friend,” Kylo said out of the blue, still staring at Hux with that saddened expression. How did he…?

“It took me so long to realize that I was made the way I was supposed to be. I hated the way I looked when I was a teenager,” Kylo started, a stony sadness befalling him.

“I always found qualms with myself. ‘Oh, my nose is too big! Oh, I have too many moles!’. As I matured I realized that there would be only one me,” He continued, a strange sort of nostalgic smile on his face.

“Only one person to look exactly the way I look. Conventional beauty is rather overrated, if you ask me. Why would anyone want to look like a carbon copy of everyone else?” Kylo mused thoughtfully, his index finger swirling around the lip of the chalice as he spoke, and Hux stared and gaped again.

“If I’m being completely honest, I don’t believe in “ugliness”. Not in looks, in personalities and acts, certainly, but not in looks. Your hair is a rare color, my friend. It’s beautiful, firey. Rather like your personality,” Kylo murmured, and Hux felt strangely….proud. His hair had reminded him always of his strict father, hence why he had a distaste for it the majority of the time. Kylo saw it to be beautiful, which was strangely empowering.

“Confidence in self and appearance can take a long time. All you have to realize is that you need your approval, nobody else’s. Because your approval is the best approval,” He finished, just as the tall blonde waiter had returned, bringing with him a few baskets of various delicious smelling breads. Hux wondered how he moved so fast without spilling any contents of the basket.

 

Hux chose a small roll, inhaling the warm scent, before taking a bite. He processed Kylo’s words as he did so. Admittedly, he had initially thought Kylo would be rather stuck-up and judgemental about the looks of others, as were an unfortunate quantity of people. He hadn’t expected him to be so wise and kind. As it would continue to prove, he was just full of surprises that kept on coming. Hux suddenly felt embarrassed as he watched Kylo cutting his chosen bread piece with a knife and fork, realizing he had been eating with his hands. He immediately put it down, and Kylo smiled reassuringly at him. 

“Eat however you want to,” He cajoled, dropping his knife and fork and eating the bread as Hux had before; with his hands. Hux picked his piece up and resumed eating. Kylo was a very interesting creature indeed. He took pleasure in making others feel comfortable, making sure everyone had a place and never felt left out or alienated. Not to gain compliments for his generosity, simply because he wanted to. In his mind, it was the right thing to do.

 “You’re very unique, your majesty,” Hux murmured, folding his hands in his lap as his legs swung back and forth, not even realizing he had been swinging them.

“How so?” Kylo asked, taking another sip of the wine, which Hux realized he hadn’t even touched yet.

“Your kindness, wisdom, and generosity have no bounds, yet you don’t do it for show as so many politicians do. You do it genuinely, from the heart. That is a true rarity,” Hux explained, and Kylo smiled, flattered.

“Your words are unfortunate, yet true. I thank you for thinking of me as a rarity, which is a compliment all in itself. I suppose we’re both rarities, aren’t we?” Kylo laughed melodically, Hux responding with a laugh of his own.

“I suppose so,” He said, still laughing. Their eyes met again, keeping contact. Such a beautiful amber. It was almost like drowning in the warmest honey, framed by dark long eyelashes. Hux had never really paid attention to people’s eyes, a large majority of spiritualists believed they were the gateway to the soul. Perhaps they were. If that were the case, then Kylo had a very beautiful soul indeed. Warm. Hux wasn’t used to warm. He wanted to get used to warm.

 

 

The sun had set a while ago, and judging by the various smells wafting out of the kitchen, dinner was almost ready to be served. This had truly been one of the strangest yet fulfilling days Hux had ever experienced in almost 30 years of living. He looked out the window, spotting the stars twinkling brightly in the distant black sky. It was a beautiful night.

“Gorgeous, aren’t they?” Kylo sighed dreamily, looking at the stars adoringly.

“I like to think they watch over us. Protect us,” He continued, a faraway look in his eyes. Drunk not on wine, nor brandy, but the stars themselves.

“My mother used to tell me that some of the stars are the spirits of long passed relatives, ancestors. They shine especially brightly for us, to let us know they still watch over us, our progress, to light our way in dark times,” Kylo said, nostalgia once again in his voice and expression. Hux hadn’t been told stories as a child, he usually snuck books himself because _“The boy didn’t need any fantasies in his mind,”_ if he were to grow up to be the perfect little soldier he was meant to be.

“That sounds lovely,” Hux said, sadness creeping into his voice. Kylo noticed immediately, snapping out of his star intoxication.

“Surely you had someone to tell you stories?” Kylo asked, appalled at the notion. Hux shook his head solemnly. Kylo looked devestated.

“Good little soldiers don’t get stories. They get told to ‘man up’ if they want to make it anywhere in life,” Hux said bitterly, finally taking a sip of the wine, hoping it would make the pain go away. It tasted sweet, not overwhelmingly sweet, but just the right amount. Nutty, almost. It was satisfying.

“I’ll tell you stories, then,” Kylo said, with such adamance, that Hux didn’t even think about telling him “no”.

And then, a large cart wheeled in, pushed by the quick blonde waiter, and a shorter stout brunette man, before the stainless steel cover was taken off, revealing some sort of bird, cooked and seasoned to perfection. The smell of the herbs and meat combining made Hux’s mouth water. He hadn’t even realized he’d been hungry.

“Which piece would you like, Sir General?” The brunette said, his voice slightly accented. He couldn’t exactly pin-point from where, but if he had to guess, it would be from somewhere near the rim. It had vague similarities to the Arkanian accent.

“T-the breast, I suppose,” Hux stuttered, having expected them just to give him a piece and leave it at that.

“Very good!” The brunette said with enthusiasm, cutting him a sizable piece, putting it on his plate. Hux couldn’t wait to dig in, but he politely waited for Kylo to get his piece before even cutting into his own.

The lothcat eyed the bird hungrily, but sat by Kylo’s feet with a patience Hux had previously thought animals weren’t capable of. He had been staring at the strange little creature for so long, he hadn’t even noticed Kylo had already started eating.

“I see you’re very intrigued by my pet,” Kylo murmured, taking a sip of the sweet wine again, gazing at Hux curiously. Hux nodded, unsure of what to say. Kylo smiled warmly at him again, and he swore the temperature in the room went up drastically.

Hux felt the number of eyes on him and Kylo increase, and peered from the corner of his eye again to see another girl in the doorway staring at them. This one from what he could see had long wavy hair that was a whitish-blonde. She looked like one of the goddesses that you could read about in fairy-tales, except she was very real. There were little white moonflowers and rainbow ribbon braided into her hair. Hux wondered if they had been celebrating a festival recently.

Kylo seemed to notice where Hux was subtly looking and flashed a smile and a small saucy wave to their audience, Hux hearing the two girls burst out into giggles, and a patter of footsteps before he no longer felt the eyes on them.

“Those two,” Kylo laughed mirthfully, his eyes twinkling as he smiled.

“Luciene and Marie,” He continued, putting some of the meat into a bread roll and eating it like a sandwich.

“They always get excited when company’s over. They’re going to have a field day when I tell them we’re engaged,” Kylo laughed again. He was truly radiant. He almost seemed to glow when he smiled or laughed.

“I’m sure,” Hux chuckled softly, digging into his food before it got cold.

 

~

 

When it came time for dessert, Kylo produced a small bag from his pocket, giving Hux some of the contents, which were small chocolate covered somethings….he sniffed it, only detecting the rich smell of the dark chocolate, and something less prominent, but familiar. He cautiously bit into it, and his palate was flooded with the familiar dark smoky taste of caf. Dark chocolate covered caf beans. Apparently a delicacy on Naboo. It was delicious, the contrast of the bittersweet of the dark chocolate and the slight bitterness of the beans balanced it out perfectly. Hux would have to buy some for later consumption when he got the chance.

When Hux had eaten them all, Kylo offered him some more, but he declined politely. It was getting late, and he was to return to the inn he was staying at until they worked out the arrangements. When the table had been cleared, Kylo had walked Hux to the front door, grabbing Hux’s overcoat and putting it over his shoulders with a smile. 

“Until tomorrow,” Kylo said, peering out from the large door at Hux, who stood silhouetted by the streetlights.

“Until tomorrow,” Hux affirmed, and Kylo murmured a soft “goodnight”, before closing the door. Hux stuck his hand in his pocket and felt a small familiar bag. He took it out and his assumption was confirmed; Kylo had snuck the bag of chocolate caf beans into his overcoat when he wasn’t looking. Hux looked up at one of the windows and smiled, tossing the bag in the air and catching it, before walking down the stone street in the direction of the inn.

Upstairs, Kylo smiled as his handmaidens looked on and giggled gleefully. The night sky was black and violet, the mist settling in. Windchimes sang sweetly and the town itself appeared to be falling into slumber. All was well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait! This would've been up last night but I was so busy moving blogs and then I got exhausted and fell asleep ;w; I hope you like it! I love chocolate covered coffee beans I had recently gotten some so that was the inspiration for them being in the story haha.
> 
> also! if you guys want to follow me I've made a new blog (the one I just mentioned moving to lol) that's a mix of fandom+personal and other stuff. Mostly Star Wars and memes and etc.
> 
> it's goldenamidala.tumblr.com feel free to say hello!


	3. Arrangements made and revelations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Possible warning for this chapter it's kind of...action-y??? there's no violence but...idk.

Hux woke up first thing in the morning, sunlight streaming in warmly as he shifted out of the green dulcet silken covers, stretched. His feet hit the wooden floor and he stood up wobbily, still not completely awake. He carded a hand absentmindedly through his mussed ginger locks and thought back to the night before.

He wasn’t afraid or embarrassed to admit he was very much looking forward to seeing the Prince again. Which was why it was fortunate he would be seeing him again today to discuss the details of their engagement, which with anybody else would’ve put him to sleep or bored him out of his mind.

He didn’t think Prince Kylo Amidala had a capacity to even _be_ boring. He wasn’t like the stuffy politicians who couldn’t take a joke. He was witty and smart, possessing a true heart of gold. And patience, judging by the fact he had apparently domesticated such a feral animal as a lothcat. Perhaps it had liked him so much it domesticated itself. Hux wouldn’t blame it if that were the case. He walked into the bathroom, deciding on the way in what order to freshen up and shave, choosing to take a shower first. He stripped his plain white shirt and grey boxers, stepping into the warm spray, letting it relax his muscles and refresh his mind.

~

He preferred to shave himself, taking the sharp, clean metal razor and pristinely cutting away the orange stubble that had grown while traveling. He was meticulous in all of his morning habits, but he didn’t mind changing up the order, because it ended up getting done regardless. Looking at his clean-shaven reflection in the mirror, he felt a surge of satisfaction as he always did when he took care of himself.

He looked at his holo-watch, finding that it was nearly time to go and arrange things with the Prince. He took a few dabs of cologne, nothing too strong, just simple and clean, before donning a simple grey and white vest with a grey suit jacket. He looked rather good, he had to admit. He briefly forgot how to tie his tie, tapping his foot impatiently before remembering.

He took one last look at his reflection, smiled at his perfection; not a single hair out of place. He usually wasn’t one for preening, but it was his engagement arrangement, he should at least dress decently, he decided to go the extra-mile for reasons he wasn’t exactly sure, but he sure was satisfied with the results.

~

 

When he was welcomed to the palace, it was by the blonde goddess-esque handmaiden, Lucien. She seemed ecstatic to see him, even though they hadn’t even met, most likely Kylo had told her all about him. She was a rather short and petite thing, round chocolate brown eyes, a sharp chin and rosy cheeks, full lips that always seemed to be upturned into a radiant smile, her light hair still adorned with the ribbons and moonflowers, fluffy and soft looking. She offered her small hand for him to shake, which he did. Her face was covered with freckles of varying sizes and shapes. It worked for her, at least. On Hux they looked….strange.

“Our fair prince has been expecting you, he is very excited to go over details with you,” She smiled, leading Hux through the main room he and Kylo had sat in the day previous.

The taste of brandy lingered faintly on Hux’s tastebuds when he passed through, noticing the lothcat had taken one of the lounge sofas as a bed, was snoring with its striped and spotted tail curled around its face.

 She led him to the doorway beside the dining room’s, the same golden fire fixtures on the wall flickered softly as the whoosh of her dress passed through quickly, they ascended a magnificent staircase, covered by a plush crimson and gold rug, the tiny heels on her white shoes clicking as they walked. In front of them was a long hallway that led to one metal door, and she rushed ahead to a tiny terminal next to it, a blue screen briefly illuminating the dark corner of the room, her nimble fingers working fast at typing a code of some sort.

The terminal accepted it with a small beep, the door unlocking with a click and hiss, she took the handle, opened it and stood back, letting Hux in first politely, before closing it behind him. Hux didn’t even notice she hadn’t come in, he was too busy staring at Kylo.

He was familiar with the traditional Nabooian face-paint Kylo was wearing, having seen pictures of previous rulers wearing it. Pure white with crimson circles on the cheeks, which he had learned represented balance and symmetry, the top lip fully crimson, a line streaking down to the bottom. His curly hair was tied back with a thin golden silk hair-tie, a few rods of gold with rubies dangling from the ends, a few errant locks of wavy hair framing his face. He wore a long pure black gown, his chest rather defined by its slight tightness, golden stripes going down the sides of the the sleeves, making a straight line down his front all the way down to the floor where the beautiful fabric pooled.

Hux could see his defined collarbones peeking out, and when Kylo smiled he was sure his heart stopped beating for just a second. He had never seen such a perfect combination of elegant extravagance and simplicity rolled into one.

He also wore a black velvet choker, Hux noticed. His neck was already beautiful (which didn’t even make sense because how in the stars could a neck be beautiful? Hux did not have the answers to these questions), made even more so by just a simple strip of black velvet and chain. It was entirely unfair.

He didn’t even notice the blonde chrome armored woman staring him down cooly as he gaped at the well-dressed prince until Kylo turned to her, gave her a reassuring look. She still glared, just slightly less. Hux’s eyes flickered to her, noticing immediately that she was taller than Kylo, who was already tall. Her cool icy blue eyes bore into him mercilessly; a warrior’s gaze.

Her hair was cut short, slicked back. It was a similar color to Lucien’s, except lighter. Hux was rarely intimidated by guards, but she wasn’t just any ordinary guard. He admired her ferocious yet calm demeanor. She didn’t even have to speak to strike fear into the hearts of others, something truly enviable when you’re in a line of work where such a thing is necessary, or useful.

Hux heard the faint chirp of birds, snapping out of his stupor and finally getting a good look at his surroundings; it was a fairly simple yet large, stone walls decorated with paintings of previous rulers, some parchments and scrolls from long-ago times with fading ink, a few potted plants in square shaped holes in the walls grew freely.

Kylo had a large wooden desk with a comfortable black chair, the desk itself cluttered with some papers, multiple pens and other supplies strewn about as well. The chrome woman sat next to his desk, perfect posture, hands clasped respectfully in front of her as Kylo scrambled to put the mess on his desk into some order.

“Sir General, I am delighted to see you. This is one of my royal guards, Sadon Phasma,” Kylo said, gesturing to her.

“Just Phasma will do, Sir General,” She said curtly, her accent reminding him of the Academy back home. Crisp and proper, similar to his.

Hux’s gaze once more landed upon Kylo, who had finally cleaned (most) of his desk, or at least enough to work with, a few of the documents still in the middle, most likely the terms of their engagement, his amber eyes glittering as they always did when he was in good spirits, which was the majority of the time. His hands were clasped, a golden covered pen sat on its side between his fingers.

Much to Hux’s embarrassment, his gaze kept on flickering up to Kylo’s full crimson lips, which were played up in a small friendly smile. If he had noticed, he hadn’t said anything, which was relieving. Phasma sat, strong and stoic without a word.

“Please, sit down,” Kylo encouraged, sweeping his hand to the black chair in front of his desk, which Hux briskly walked over to, sitting down and crossing his right leg over his left, his hands folded politely in his lap as he waited for Kylo to continue.

“We’ll both give our terms, and if we should disagree then we can either break off the engagement or find a solution that works for both of us,” Kylo said, twiddling with the pen as he stared at Hux, who nodded mutely. Kylo seemed satisfied with that, picking up the first paper, clearing his throat.

“We both have equal reign, obviously,” Kylo chuckled, and Hux laughed along with him.

“Our wedding is to be public, as is tradition of most of the marriages in Naboo,” Kylo said rather cryptically, leaving Hux to wonder which marriages weren’t.

“Either of us can divorce if things get bad, or simply if the arrangement doesn’t work for us anymore,” he continued, tapping the pen on his bottom lip, drawing Hux’s attention to it again

“If the need should ever arise for an heir, we would both have say in deciding in the surrogate,” he drawled, and Hux took a moment to process just exactly what that meant. A surrogate...an heir. A child. Kylo took notice of this, gazing at Hux curiously, but not saying anything.

“You will take part in half of what I do, meetings with senators, listening to the citizens and lawmaking, et cetera,” He said, waving the pen in a circle at his last words, Hux finding it strangely endearing.

“And neither of us need to do anything we’re uncomfortable with, such as public affection and the like, or sleeping in the same room,” He finished, waiting for Hux’s input.

“Sounds fine to me,” Hux responded, and Kylo handed him the pen and paper. He noticed Kylo’s handwriting was perfect and loopy, admiring the way he drew the “K”, before scrawling down his own name next to it, handing it back to a beaming Kylo.

“As for the rings, I have that taken care of. We’ll send you to the tailor at your nearest convenience,” Kylo murmured, and Hux nodded. An awkward silence settled, both of them seemed unsure of what to do.

Do you shake hands with someone you just signed a marriage contract with? Kylo took the first initiative, standing up, Hux taking suit. Kylo wrapped his long arms around Hux in a warm hug, Hux was surrounded by the smell of blossoms, sweet and entrancing. He hugged back awkwardly, unused to affection, inhaling Kylo’s sweet scent rather greedily, before they both stepped back.

Some time in the middle of the hug, their hands had entwined, Kylo’s larger fingers encasing Hux as they simply stood there, staring at each other, holding hands. Phasma stared at them with a strange look, curious. Phasma seemed to notice something that they didn’t, which was slightly unnerving to Hux.

Hux slipped his fingers out of Kylo’s apologizing stiffly, Kylo assuring him he hadn’t done anything wrong with one of his sweet smiles. Phasma seemed briefly amused by something, before returning to stoicism.

“Would you like to stay for dinner again?” Kylo asked, as all of them headed to the metal door, Hux raking his mind for any possible appointments he had, remembering none.

“Absolutely,” He agreed, and Kylo seemed vastly satisfied.

~

 

Hux always believed in trusting your instincts, and his were going wild with alarm. Not because of Kylo, not in the way one thought at least. Phasma seemed to sense it as well as they ate dinner, Kylo’s lothcat having joined them as soon as they entered. They had been discussing details of the wedding as they ate, Hux hearing telltale giggles of the handmaidens as they listened in one of the doorways excitedly.

“-it will happen in a few weeks, most likely between one and two-,” Kylo continued, before a ear-splitting shatter of glass interrupted him, and then there was a vibration. Hux had ducked on instinct, remembering drills from his Academy days. There was no screaming, simply a hum of vibration.

He looked up, expecting the worst, but seeing something he would’ve never believed; the bolt was suspended midair by nothing that could be seen by eye, the energy of it vibrating, before it tiltled upwards, shooting into the ceiling instead of its target; Kylo. This was an attempt on his life.

Phasma blew into a shrill whistle, the sound of it making Hux’s ears ring, and all at once there were soldiers everywhere, Hux hearing one call outside for the perpetrator to stop. Kylo seemed unphased, Hux felt like he was in some sort of strange dream.

“Bring him to me,” Kylo said calmly, as if he were simply asking about the weather, not his failed assassin. Phasma barked an order to the troops, Hux’s ears were still ringing from the whistle, so he couldn’t hear it that well.

Two massive silver-armoured soldiers dragged a man in on his knees, his face obscured by a black scarf, the only thing you could see were dark eyes and a few tufts of brown hair. Then, all at once, the man slammed into one of the guards that was holding him, allowing him to free his hand and grab the blaster sheathed on the side of the silver armour, pointed it at Kylo and pulled the trigger.

At once, two things happened; the first being a sizzle and hum, the second being the bolt slamming into the northward wall. Hux gaped again at Kylo, who held tightly in his fist a lightsaber. Yes, a lightsaber, spitting and hissing gold, as it hummed with life and energy, one long blade followed by two shorter ones that hissed out of the sides of the metal cylinder of which they were contained. It crackled as Kylo stared down the assassin, who had apparently decided to simply accept his fate and gave no more resistance. Kylo powered the saber down, placing it on the table before smoothing down his dress. He only seemed mildly agitated, which was amusing and terrifying to Hux.

“Now, if you wanted to join us, all you had to do was ask,” Kylo quipped, and the man snarled at him.

“Who sent you?” He asked, flicking his head so the few strands of hair that had become undone in his rush to stop the second bolt out of his eyes.

“I’ll never tell you!” The man hissed, squirming one last time before truly giving up, the guard’s iron grip on his arms getting even tighter, the blaster having been taken back from him a few seconds prior.

“You don’t need to,” Kylo snickered, and Hux once again felt both confused and dizzy, holding his throbbing head in his hands as he watched the exchange between Kylo and his would-be assassin. Kylo stared at the man in concentration it would seem, almond eyes boring into him mercilessly.

“I see,” Kylo drawled, lips parted as his eyes flickered, the assassin seemed to be getting progressively angrier, but he did not struggle, only glared daggers into the Prince as he was studied.

“Take him into the dungeon. We’ll sort him out later….I’m so terribly sorry this had to happen while we were having dinner, Sir General,” Kylo sighed, sitting back down into his seat, Hux felt a twinge of sympathy for Kylo. The assassin was dragged off, kicking and screaming insults, until there was finally silence except for the whistle of wind through the broken glass of the window.

“You can just call me Hux,” Hux murmured, staring at Kylo, who seemed distraught they had been interrupted. He offered Kylo a smile, receiving a half-hearted one in return.

“Hux,” Kylo said, trying the name out on his tongue. It sounded rather nice coming from him, Hux had to admit. It was so much better and less formal than “Sir General”.

“Kylo,” said Hux, trying out Kylo’s name. It felt right, strangely so. Nice, unique. Truly a perfect name for him. Kylo finally smiled at him, his mood seemingly brightening

“Will I be taking on your name?...when we’re married, I mean,” Hux asked, taking a sip of the brandy Kylo had brought him from the sitting room. Kylo seemed to consider that, quietly murmuring combinations of both of their surnames. Hux-Amidala, Amidala-Hux….

“I’m not entirely sure,” Kylo admitted, his hand resting on his hands as he and Hux stared at one another again, the events that had just happened forgotten in just a few words.

“I suppose….if you’re not opposed to it,” Kylo shrugged, picking up his fork and digging back into the food they had nearly forgotten about, taking a small piece of a strange looking purple fruit and biting into it.

He suddenly laughed, Hux wondering what it was he found so amusing.

“Nabooian food is rather strange to you, isn’t it? I can’t say the same for me, considering I’ve lived here for a large portion of my life,” Kylo mused, offering Hux a piece of the fruit on his fork, which he accepted cautiously, as he bit in sweetness flooded his senses, chewing on the grainy texture of the fruit as he enjoyed it.

“I’m sure you’re wondering about my lightsaber and how that blaster bolt didn’t hit me,” He said out of the blue, as he had a habit of doing.

“Yes,” Hux said, wiping his mouth with a napkin while he looked at Kylo for answers

“I’m sure you’ve heard of the sith...the Jedi….while I’m not exactly either of those, I do have...abilities,” Kylo said cautiously, and Hux found himself completely engrossed. He would be the first to admit he had never believed in such things as the force, finding it to be ridiculous, something you’d hear in a storybook.

But there was absolutely no denying what he saw, even though he wanted to desperately to rationalize it, there was no rationalizing...he saw it. The whole room had

“My whole family does. There are multiple people scattered throughout this galaxy who do, but they’ve gone into hiding. For their own protection,” Kylo explained, a distant look crossing his features, gnawing on his bottom lip softly with his teeth.

“What can you do?...with your abilities, I mean,” Hux said, trying not to sound nonchalant, even though he was extremely interested. A coy smile played at Kylo’s lips, and then all at once he felt the phantom brush of a hand across his cheek. Hux sputtered, and Kylo laughed, booming and beautiful.

“All sorts of things,” Kylo whispered mischievously, and Hux prayed to the stars his face wasn’t burning.

“I can tell you what you’re thinking,” Kylo laughed melodically, and Hux would’ve internally screamed if he knew Kylo couldn’t have heard him.

“I must say, I’m quite flattered by how attractive you find me,” Kylo teased, grinning broadly at a flustered Hux, frustrated by just about everything about Kylo, including his nonchalance about such things.

“I’m in tune with everything, everyone around me. It’s simultaneously a curse and blessing,” Kylo said, and Hux thought was that it was. To hear what everyone thought, including animals...perhaps that was why the lothcat seemed so attached.

Kylo must be extremely patient to learn to harness and use a power such as that. Hux kept on getting impressed by him every day he spoke to him and learned of him. He was so humble for such a powerful being.

“I expect you back tomorrow so we can work out the smaller details...such as your suit and the rings,” Kylo said, almost reluctant to be ending the night.

Hux admittedly wanted to stay, but then reminded himself that he would be staying eventually, on account of their marriage, and mentally kicked himself, Kylo’s beautiful laughter ringing out again into the night, Hux’s joining in harmony. In their joy they hadn’t even noticed the lothcat had jumped onto the table, eating the meat off of Kylo’s plate.

Then it was finally noticed and they laughed harder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I'm back! Ok so a few nights ago we saw a cashier at one of our local stores who looked exactly like Gwendoline Christie and she was even tall like her! That's why I introduced Phasma in this chapter. I was freaking out when I saw her hahaha ;w;. ALSO HOLY HECK NAME DROP FOR EPISODE EIGHT I'M EXCITED....sorry for caps haha. 
> 
> i think i told you guys last chapter, but I do have a tumblr you can find me at goldenamidala I need some friends since I moved accounts. Feel free to talk to me or ask questions! 
> 
> I hope this chapter's formatting is okay.
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed this, there will be more soon! Also thank you guys for pointing out some things about Naboo bc I'm still new to Star Wars and I'm in the learning process. 
> 
> Funfact: the whole thing with the crimson cheek dots is actually true they do represent balance and symmetry if what I'm reading is accurate c:
> 
> p.s.: Sadon is pronounced (in my head at least) like "Say-dahn" or "Say dawn". Thank you guys for all the support! <3


	4. The past, dreams, and a tailor.

A growing feeling in Hux was beginning to worry him. The last few days with the Prince had been...wonderful. Kylo ignited a strange emotion in Hux he had yet to come to terms with, or even fully understand. It was warm, like when you first step into the warm water of a bath. The kind that traveled up and down your body and made you content and almost drowsy, tingling your spine in the process.

Strangely, he had been hearing Kylo speak, even though he wasn’t in the palace or anywhere near him. His deep but soft drawl was comforting, murmuring various things that ended up turning to fuzzy nonsense as Hux drowsed. He hadn’t gotten as much sleep in years as he has been getting while staying in Theed.

He suspects Kylo’s force abilities, but chooses to not question, simply let the calm flow through him. Hux’s mind is admittedly usually cluttered with various thoughts, most of them revolving around work and the things he needs to do, which leads to higher stress levels, which leads to a very unhappy Hux, which also leads to unhappy subordinates as a result of an unhappy Hux.

And dreams were something long lost. Hux usually just dreamlessly slept, which he was fine with; he’d rather have no dreams than waking up in the middle of the night in a sweat because of nightmares. His dreams returned to him, but these ones weren’t scary, just rather...unique. A recurring element was a woman with brown curls with the moonflowers that seemed to be so popular around these parts, her eyes were sad, something hidden within their brown depths; regret, loss, a slight curiosity.

Hux felt that she missed someone, or rather, many people. She was most likely taken before her time, or at least that is Hux’s feeling of her. She was beautiful. She reminds him terribly of Kylo. She does not speak, although Hux has the inkling she desperately wishes to convey something to him, or perhaps ask something of him. He’s not sure if he has the answer she needs. She has come to him every night he’s spent in Theed except for the first.

She wears a long flowing dark blue dress, lines and patterns making it glitter and shine like the night sky. Hux doesn’t know how to help her, which is extremely disheartening for him, and her. She seems to understand, but yet she still comes to him. Hux has a feeling they’ll both get the answers they need soon, and leaves it at that.

Her face is familiar, which makes Hux wonder whether he had seen her in a holo-book or somewhere, but he has almost complete certainty he has seen her before. She almost glows like one of the many moons, heavenly and melancholy. Hux sometimes wonders if he and Kylo are sharing these dreams, irrational and ridiculous as it sounds.

 

He lay awake after dreaming of her again, warm covers up to his chin as he stares blankly at the large wooden clothes drawer, fingers moving slightly for no real reason except to confirm he is awake, he is there. As of late when communicating with Snoke he feels like a rock has sunken to the lowest depths of his stomach, continuing to go impossibly deeper with every word rasped to him.

He has never felt anything except contempt for his employer, so this is another new addition. It is unwelcome and he wishes it would go away, but it persists, and it makes him nauseous to simply think about. He tries not to plague his mind with these thoughts, simply think back to the day’s events, the band he had heard on the corner playing sweet music, the taste of smoky chocolate covered caf beans, or the way Kylo had uproariously laughed when Hux had told him an awful pun.

The giggles of the handmaidens as they listened in on their conversation, even the chirp of birds he had previously been agitated by. Something to get his mind off of this. The feel of the smooth silk of the gorgeous outfit Kylo had worn, accidentally felt because of a misplaced brush of Hux’s hand. Hux still couldn’t believe he had broken out in goosebumps because he had just barely touched Kylo’s clothes. Ridiculous.

He shut his eyes again, trying to find some mental peace so his body would fall asleep, and after a while he relaxed, slowly sinking into slumber

 

~

 

Today was a day of business, as in he had to go to the tailor to get sized for his wedding suit. But first, Kylo asked him over to the palace by sending Lucien over, who was overjoyed to have the privilege, and overjoyed to see Hux again, even though he had been visiting every day for the past 4 days.

“He didn’t give me specifics, just that he requests you to be there before you seek out the tailor,” She said, absentmindedly winding a curl of her hair around her index finger as she stared at Hux.

“I’ll be there as soon as I’m properly dressed,” He said, and with that and a small “goodbye for now” she was off, flouncing down the street merrily while passers-by looked on. He wondered what it felt like, being so carefree and happy. It was not something he experienced often, if at all. He hurried back inside, quickly grabbing some clothes without looking at anything except for the color, hopping around while jostling his pants up, quickly buttoning his shirt.

He had no idea why he had put himself in such a hurry, but there was nothing he could do to stop it now as he sprinted down the street, accidentally bumping into a few people and offering hurried apologies as he ran, until he stood in front of the massive door which opened immediately to reveal...the lothcat. He decided not to question it, simply brushed past the beast who looked at him strangely.

Lucien was already halfway up the stairs when Hux had barely taken his first step, briskly walking up the stairs, into the long hallway and the open door, as it closed behind him. Kylo looked stunning (as usual), his hair down, no makeup, simply wearing a long black velvet dress as he confidently walked up to Hux, gently picking up his hand and slipping something on his ring finger. Hux gulped as he noticed there was barely any space between them as Kylo looked down at him with warm eyes and a kind smile. He felt his heart stutter in response, their left hands were connected by the palms, he stared at the ring, a beautiful shimmering gold band. He was bereft of words, unsure of what to do or say as their chests just barely touched, and in that barely-there touch he could feel Kylo’s defined muscles, his heart again stuttering.

“Do you like it?” Kylo whispered, even though the room had only them in it, and Hux’s mouth felt dry.

“Y-yes,” He whispered, staring at both of their hands, noticing how Kylo’s was larger than his, and warm. Kylo smiled radiantly and Hux swore time stopped if only for a second. This. _This_ was the emotion that he didn’t understand. It was dizzying and exciting and confusing and right, and he was sure he shouldn’t be feeling it, even though he barely knew what it was because this was supposed to be a business arrangement for Kriff’s sake.

 

He wondered in futility if Kylo felt it too. He simultaneously wanted to pull away from Kylo and pull him closer for reasons he did not know. His hand raised itself to rest on Kylo’s warm cheek without his notice, Kylo didn’t seem to mind as they stared at each other. Hux wanted to absorb him. His warmth. He wanted...and he did not understand why. He made a strange sound in his throat, somewhere between distraught and desperation as he tore himself away from Kylo, hunching over.

“Hux?” He heard, between the static noise in his ears, he noticed he was shaking.

“I’m fine,” He insisted, even though he was lightly panting. _I want what I know I can’t have_ . _Him. Lo-_

No. These were thoughts he was not allowed to have, especially in the presence of Kylo. They were business partners, nothing more. He felt nothing for Hux except friendship, and Hux should feel nothing but friendship for him too. But he didn’t, and it was almost painful at this point.

“I can get you a glass of water,” Kylo said, putting his hand on Hux’s hunched back, which suddenly shot up. His touch was kind, addictive. Hux hated to admit it made the feeling in his heart worse.

 _“I’ve fallen in deep when I shouldn’t have even fallen in the first place,”_ Hux thought miserably, still refusing to acknowledge exactly what it is he fell in, even though he was sure he knew now. Trouble, for one.

“Please, my friend, sit down,” Kylo said worriedly, grabbing him by the shoulders and leading him over to the chair he sat in when he had signed the marriage documents. He instinctively moved back as Kylo pressed his hand against Hux’s forehead, before finally coming to terms that escaping Kylo’s touch would most likely not be possible, and that he would just have to deal with the feeling that came from it. He had been taught that feeling these emotions...the “weak” ones as his father had dubbed them, got him nowhere. So he went through life calmly, trying to fight back as much of his emotions as he could, because those were supposed to be worked out in private.

 _“Don’t fall in love,”_ his father had told him as a teenager.

 _“Your emotions overtake you. You lose all sense and start spinning until you can’t see anything except for the object of your affection. Everything else, even important things seem not important at all when you’re with them. You’ll be better off without distractions,_ ”

 

And he was right about the part about the first three parts at least, as Hux was finding out. Was falling in love really a choice? That’s what he’s been wondering about for the last 19 years of his miserable life. He still doesn’t have the answer. He had never sought after any friendships or relationships without any string attached, instead he focused on getting through life as painlessly and efficiently as possible.

His peers always found him strange, as he chose to study instead of goofing off or getting drunk or whatever was the big thing at the time with them. They considered him a “teacher’s pet”, which he was fine with. He didn’t understand why being a good student was an insult.

“Hux?” He heard Kylo’s voice, garbled as if underwater as he slowly came back into the time they were currently in, instead of the past, back into his adult body, not his teenaged one. Kylo was holding a clear glass of water in front of Hux, who took it with a small “Thank you,”, drank it greedily. The cool liquid poured down his throat, rebooted his brain.

He wasn’t 15 any more, he was 34, and he had obligations and duties, bad memories and emotions be damned. He would prove his father wrong or die trying. He would succeed and have emotions while doing it, weak or not.

Kylo still looked extremely worried as he took back the glass. Hux wondered why he didn’t hear what he was thinking. Maybe these thoughts were too deeply embedded and the other ones had been easier to find, on the surface, perhaps. He had followed the rules all of his damn life, and for what? He was just a general….but soon he would be a king. A higher ranking than even his own father, he thought pettily.

But there was still the matter of whether Kylo felt the same, so Hux will play it safe until he truly knows, lest he hurt himself in the process. Kylo noticed Hux’s mood had improved, a look of relief washing over him.

“You worry me to no end,” He sighed ruefully, shaking his head. Hux smiled at him amusedly.

“I worry myself too, so we have that in common as well,” He chortled, Kylo ringing in with his own laughter at Hux’s statement. Kylo’s amused smile lingered, and Hux took pride in how often he made Kylo laugh.

“I should head to the Tailor,” Hux said, checking the time, Kylo agreeing before they both waved at each other before Hux departed down the stairs, the lothcat stood in front of the door peering at him with its beady eyes, Hux feeling strangely uncomfortable being stared down by a tiny yet ferocious creature. It made a sound between a chirp and growl at him before moving aside to let him leave.

 

~

 

The tailor had Hux in various different poses as she meticulously sized every part of his body, including places he didn’t even know needed to be sized, but he patiently posed, letting the woman do her work as she hurriedly jotted down the numbers, her gray hair falling out of her bun strand by strand. After that was over, Hux decided to head over to the marketplace to see what exotic Nabooian foods they had to offer, receiving many strange looks (mostly directed towards his hair) as he walked with his hands in his pockets. He always tried to understand himself, why he did what he did and why certain things affected him, such as Kylo’s touch.

Admittedly, he craved affection. Every touch ignited a surge in him, making him want them to last longer or simply never stop. He had lived a rather sad and lonely life, never dating or pursuing friends, thinking being alone would benefit him. He was wrong, but now he had a chance to change that.

He peered at the multicolored fruits, specifically eyeing a purple one which he believed was the one Kylo had fed him. He bought a few for personal consumption, absentmindedly swinging the bag as he passed booths full of various types of food, some cooking, others already done, some raw. He ran his thumb over the gold band on his left ring finger, feeling the smooth texture strangely distracting, but in a good way.

The wedding was to happen in less than a month. Hux had never felt as prepared for anything in his life, which was relieving. He is going to subtly court his fianceé over this time, which would sound ridiculous if it were any other situation. He can only hope the deep feelings he has for Kylo are mutual between them, and leaves it at that. Hux has no idea how to court somebody, but he’s doing to do his kriffing best.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't help but feel this chapter is muddled bc while writing it I was feeling all sort of emotions, so I guess a summary would be that Hux's feelings for Kylo have come to a peak, and he's thinking back to his past, his father and etc, briefly denying his feelings before deciding to say "fuck it" and do what he wants, because it's his life. (excuse my language lmao) Also I feel I should clarify the reason Kylo hasn't picked up on all of this is because: 
> 
> a) he doesn't like being unnecessarily invasive, and he feels no real reason to pick Hux's brain  
> b) he's distracted by other things in his life.
> 
> so, yeah...also Hux's dreams...interesting eh? 
> 
> (also that tension between Kylo and Hux oh my~)
> 
> Also one last thing: I forgot to say this for the last two chapters bc I'm forgetful, but I try to do my updates on either Friday, Saturday, or Sunday bc those are the days I have most free time to be able to write. So you should expect updates on the weekends, assuming I don't have to go off and run errands :D


	5. Of Cooking and The Unknown

The weather in Theed was getting slightly warmer as the week progressed, and now that he had been exposed to it for almost two weeks, Hux had decided he _slightly_ liked the sun. He shaded his eyes with his hand as he and Kylo peered over the tops of the hundreds of buildings across Theed, the wind offering refreshing coolness. Kylo’s crescent-shaped moon earrings swayed with the wind as he looked out lovingly at his vast Kingdom. The chatter of various market-goers and shrieks of children playing in the water strangely made it feel that much more like a home.

The summer cycle was quickly approaching, with it the end of the Spring.

A group of teenagers walked past, talking loudly and excitedly about something, their pace fast as they headed west of the marketplace. One straggler behind the group who seemed to simultaneously enjoy and detest the distance between him and his peers. He seemingly couldn’t decide, and Hux saw his own youth’s experiences with peers in that boy.

“Why do you berate yourself, Hux?” Kylo asked, staring at him with those glittering amber eyes of his. They reminded Hux of the sun reflecting off the water in the lake.

“Because that’s what I’ve been taught to do all my life,” He admits, trying to fight off a coming bout of sadness that looms and threatens to infiltrate him.

“Some things in life you just can’t change,” Kylo sighed, shaking his head.

“But there’s so many things you can change. Like, for instance, self acceptance,” He continued, and Hux snorted at merely the idea of such a thing. It’s an absurd notion for him, he was raised being told to be absolutely perfect in every single act, thing, idea; he knew nothing else.

“You’re not perfect Hux, Neither am I, nor anyone else in this entire galaxy and the galaxies beyond it. That’s how we’re meant to be; _flawed_.” Kylo lectured, his face set into stony seriousness. Hux disagreed, because Kylo was perfect in every sense of the word.

“But what everyone has is the best thing of all; uniqueness! Like, you for example your hair. Only you will have beautiful firey orange hair that is that exact hue, or eyes that exact color! There will only be one you,” Kylo beamed, and Hux’s fluttered about in his chest rapidly again.

He was aware Kylo found his hair to be unique and beautiful, but he liked to hear it. Some strange sort of vain pride that Kylo found his hair, which was considered an exotic rarity and mostly looked down on, was beautiful.

“I’m sure your natural voice is lovely as well,” Kylo mused, and Hux blanched. Another thing Kylo knew about him that nobody else did.

“You don’t need to uphold all of that stiff regality and properness with me. I know a large quantity of the officers of The Empire changed their voices as well, made them posh and elegant,” Kylo says casually, gaze piercing through Hux, who is amazed that Kylo is correct in this assumption about both himself and other officers of The Empire

“I know an Arkanis accent, and the one you have currently is not it,” Kylo finishes, and Hux feels strangely relieved. Maybe he could let loose around Kylo, or at least more than he had been. Kylo was an freeing person.

Hux’s eyes trained themselves on his pointed black polished shoes, and he cleared his throat awkwardly, opening his mouth and closing it wordlessly before finally giving into temptation.

“Are you absolutely certain, Sire?” He said in his natural voice, rolling, and soft, loosing all of the crisp sharpness and replacing it with something different with a pleasant twang that only an Arkanian accent could bear.

Kylo’s breath hitched, and he looked at Hux like he was the only thing he could see.

“Kylo,” Hux murmured, his native tongue pronouncing the syllables in such a beautiful way that Kylo could only gape at him in pure admiration and breathlessness. This way is the way he wants his name spoken by Hux from now on.

Hux stared at Kylo, who stared back, absolutely starstruck by his natural voice. Kylo’s gaze felt heavy, as if something you could actually touch, and Hux felt himself burning up from the rawness of the genuine awe that Kylo’s gaze held.

“Please, say it again,” Kylo begged softly, in such a way that if Hux were asked again in the same tone he wouldn’t be able to say no, regardless of what the request was.

“Kylo,” Hux murmured again, his voice now louder, more firm and confident. He swore he heart Kylo murmur “beautiful” reverently under his breath, but swayed the thought and insisted to himself that it’s just hopeful thinking.

“This is the you I want to know...the real you. The raw, real Hux, the Hux with ambitions and desires and dreams and fears, the one nobody else sees...I want to know everything about you,” Kylo says in a rush, sounding as if he had just run miles.

Hux swore he could hear both of their hearts pounding now in perfect synch. Distantly the gong of a clock tower sounds out the hour.

“Then, all you need to do is ask,” Hux breathes, and their gazes lock, eyes burning into each other. There’s a pull between them, insistent, and magnetic, a desperate need to understand and learn, to know each other’s truths.

They stare wordlessly at each other for a while, as words are unnecessary for what they’re clearly conveying towards one another. Hux doesn’t trust this, wonders if this is some dream he’ll wake up from. Kylo was the first person who had ever looked at Hux like that. His eyes practically glowed with reverie, awe, amazement...for such a small thing as hearing his voice. He felt undeserving of such a gaze. It made the warm feelings in his chest intensify until he felt like there’s a fire, hot, and strong burning inside of him.

“What are you afraid of?” Kylo asked, and Hux felt certain he knew exactly what he was talking about.

“I’ve never felt this way before,” Hux confesses, rubbing his eyes with his hands.

“I don’t understand it... but I’d like to,” He continues, and Kylo smiles.

“That’s just the thing, Hux, it’s not meant to be understood, let down your barriers, put your father’s ridiculous notions to rest. _Feel_ ,” Kylo implores, and the realization that what Kylo is saying is absolutely right sinks in slowly, as if he had eaten a rock that was slowly weighing down his stomach.

 Hux’s world had been slowly changing in a matter of weeks. The ideals ingrained into his head had been swayed, his core beliefs put into question. It’s a lot to handle, and Kylo understands that it takes time. He had started shaking without notice, until he was embraced by the warmth of Kylo’s arms, squeezed tight, then he began slightly rocking them both on his heels.

“Thank you,” He says shakily, words slightly muffled by Kylo’s chest, and Kylo rubs his back without any further comment, simply lets Hux slowly drink in his affection.

When Hux feels his hair being stroked his eyes simply slip closed, wanting this moment to last forever, which was unreasonable, he knew. Or as long as possible, at least. That was reasonable.

“I’m going to cook for you tonight,” Hux says, out of the blue, shocking Kylo out of his memories of romance long lost as he tilted his head slightly down to peer at Hux inquisitively.

“Tell your cooks they can have the night off. I want to make you something,” Hux requests, and Kylo simply nods, still amazed by the man he was still learning, the real person beneath the cool shell.

“How did we get in this situation?” Hux laughs, still sounding as if he doesn’t believe the situation he’s describing is actually true.

“The stars brought us together for some reason. It’s miraculous how the universe works,” Kylo offers, and Hux accepts his guess. They stand together like that for a while, until both of their bodies are cramped from the awkward positions, and they reluctantly separate.

“What are you making?” Kylo queries, and Hux grins cryptically.

“Not telling. You’re just going to have to wait,” He laughs, and Kylo groans in frustration, pouting at Hux, who thinks the look is comically adorable on him. Kylo huffs, crossing his arms over his chest.

Hux realizes he hadn’t even paid attention to what Kylo had been wearing today. He had simply been so enamored by listening to Kylo talk about so many things, love, art, the unknown, the stars and moons and suns, the black vastness of the galaxy.

Kylo was wearing long sleek black dress pants. He was barefoot, Hux noticing what appeared to be ink or some sort of tattoo wrapped around where his ankle and his foot met. It forms a point at the bottom. His top was a sort of slightly fuzzy black material, the part just above his chest making an upside down three sort of shape. The top itself cut just above his navel which peeks out, Hux noticing smatterings of moles on his stomach as well. His makeup is simple, just perfectly winged sharp black eyeliner and black lipstick topping it off.

“I find your input on my outfits refreshing. Most of the politicians see me as some sort of walking piece of meat. I hate their lecherous gazes,” Kylo sighs, shuddering at the memories of various politicians staring at his ass while they walked in back of him as he led them to his office.

He stopped walking ahead of them as soon as he had realized why they always requested for him to walk in front of them. His patience only went so far, and they had been taking advantage of his kindness.

“I bet you’ll look absolutely stunning in a golden crown,” Kylo muses out loud to himself, and Hux’s mind flashes with the image, a strange surge of power and confidence bubbling up to his surface at the thought of it.

“I do believe I’ve told you before, but gold is absolutely your color,” Kylo murmurs smoothly, his tone bordering flirtatiousness as he stares at Hux, leaning against the balcony as a slight wind blows a wisp of his hair in front of his face.

“And this...you ruling our kingdom is a part of your destiny. I feel it strongly within you,” He continues, and Hux’s ears lap up every word greedily like a dehydrated lothcat drinking water out of the lake in the mossy forests. His destiny…?

Kylo hasn’t lied to him once since the day they’ve met, and he knows that for a fact because he comes from a long line of people who were adept at lie-detecting. Hux feels no insincerity in Kylo’s voice, only confident honesty. Destiny and fate were things he also never believed in, but if Kylo believed in it, then he would try too.

Speaking of lothcats, Kylo’s lothcat has been warming up to Hux slowly, as Hux is now able to pet it, whereas before it would scurry away while giving him a dirty look, although it never had hissed at him or bitten him. It still made rusty engine noises that were strangely adorable.

“You never told me your lothcat’s name,” Hux murmurs, scratching it behind one orange patterned ear as it purrs and chirps at him, beady eyes looking content, swishing its fluffy tail languidly as Kylo looks on, amused.

“It doesn’t translate well to basic. They have a language of their own, you know, the closest way to pronounce it would be….Mill-icent?” Kylo says, pronouncing the syllables strangely, his dark eyebrows furrowing as he tries to translate the beast’s name. Millicent, if that was its name, perks up at Kylo’s words, seemingly understanding the use of its name.

“What a strange name. It’s rather beautiful, I must admit,” Hux muses, and Millicent purrs louder at that. Hux is amazed that she seems to understand everything they’re saying. She is one of a kind.

 

~

 

Hux rolls up his sleeves, Kylo hovering about in the Kitchen as he tries to watch him cook, occasionally giving him directions to the pantry or refrigerator as he navigates around the sizable room.

He moves so quickly that Kylo can barely keep an eye on him before he’s gone into the pantry again, a pile of various ingredients stacked on one of the main metallic tables away from the stoves and ovens. Currently some bell peppers and potatoes, Kylo thinks he can spot an onion or two, as well as a few spice jars that don’t have labels, before taking a few pans down from where they were hanging on a metal rack above the table, rummaging through various drawers until he finds eating utensils and knives.

The stove _fwooms_ to life, orange, and blue flames flickering softly as Hux puts the pan atop them, before spooning a bit of blue butter in it, hissing as it dissolves and coated the pan. Kylo finds himself flustered by the look of total concentration that is currently on Hux’s face, an errant strand of beautiful copper hair coming loose as his arm works, mincing the onions on the knife board.

His eyes never stray from his task, as he leans over and inspects his work, finding the onions cut to his liking, he takes the board and brushes them into the pan with the knife. The onions release a large hiss at the heat of the metal pan, before making crackling pops, and then settling down into a consistent sizzle. The room floods with the smell of them as they cook, and Hux is now working on the potatoes, peeling them meticulously, throwing the skin aside into a pile.

Kylo is astonished at how quickly Hux works, not just that, but the fact he did it perfectly on the first try. Efficient and clean. His leg bounces as he absentmindedly gnaws at his bottom lip, watching Hux with utmost fascination and admiration as he zip zooms around the kitchen from the corner of the room on a little wooden stool, he finds himself sighing softly, watching Hux cook for him appreciatively.

He didn’t even have to, but he _wanted_ to. He wanted to cook for him.

Hux’s fingers are precise and nimble as he quickly cuts the potatoes into squares, before brushing those in the pan along with the onions, the smell of the two combining was mouth-watering, even though Kylo hadn’t even felt hungry for a while. His stomach growls, and he finds himself wishing that time would go by faster so he can eat Hux’s delicious smelling food.

Hux wipes his arm across his brow, which had started sweating as steam rose into the room from the pan, Kylo finding it difficult not to find that simple action alone to be one of the most charmingly attractive things Hux had done, even though most of the things Hux did were on that list.

Hux continues to cut up various vegetables, cilantro, the bell peppers, before all that was left were the spices in the little ornamental blue and white jars, and the smell was even more enticing and stronger than it had started out. He took a teaspoon into each jar, sprinkling the multi-colored contents onto the cooking food, before putting a lid on it and letting it cook.

His gaze lands on Kylo, who’s gazing right back at him with that look again, which makes his stomach flip in circles, as he quickly tears his eyes away from Kylo’s face, still unable to process that he was worthy to Kylo of such a look, of such a feeling.

“Where did you learn to cook?” Kylo asks inquisitively, his head resting on his hands, blinking softly at Hux.

“From watching others, mostly. I got an interest in it before I was sent to the Academy, and let me tell you that being subjected to that rubbish they dare to call food was enough to make me want to cook for myself,” Hux chortled, turning the sink on and washing his hands under the cool water, drying them off on a nearby hand towel and turning the tap off.

“It’ll be just a bit longer until our food will be done,” Hux says apologetically, looking at a holo-clock on the wall that reads the hour, finding it to be past sundown. Kylo simply stares, and Hux adjusts his shirt collar awkwardly.

Bugs could be heard chirping faintly outside, wind brushing the trees and making their leaves rustle pleasantly, a branch scraping against the window. All is quiet except for the muffled sounds of the food, which are slowly decreasing as it cooks. Through the window, lights are seen from various places, whether they be from the street lamps, or from houses, or perhaps from the torches atop the marketplace vendors’ carts and booths.

From the distance they’re at they almost look like glowbugs, the kind Hux heard about from others telling stories of home at the Academy. Home. What exactly _was_ home to Hux? Arkanis surely wasn’t it. Arkanis is where the Academy is, where his family’s home is, but it’s not his home. Ships and shuttles aren’t home either, nor Star Destroyers, no matter how perfectly built and magnificently powerful they are.

Always cold and damn near lifeless, no matter how many are aboard.

Theed wasn’t Arkanis, or a Star Destroyer, it’s simply Theed; there’s no other way to describe it, Hux feels.  Everything about it feels different, but in a good way. Perhaps Theed is home, Hux wistfully thinks, before his mind shifts its gears back into the real world, where the food he is cooking is. Where Kylo is with him in this large room, most likely picking up on something, but not probing. Hux wonders if his thoughts are simply transparent enough for Kylo, floating above the surface so he doesn’t even need to try to dig, they just float to him.

The woman in his dreams has been visiting more frequently, but now she can speak, even though it’s such a simple sentence, it reeks of a warning sign; _“All is not well. Protect him,”._ Leaving Hux to wonder who exactly he needed to protect. It can’t be Kylo, because Kylo is more than fully capable of protecting himself, as he so blatantly displayed the night of the failed assassination attempt.

Hux wonders what they ended up doing to the furious man who had spoken to them with such contempt and venom. He reels in his thoughts, getting himself out of this strange mindset he always gets into when he remembers. It’s like getting lost in a hallway full of doors that are just the slightest bit ajar, and he can’t fight the urge to open each one before finally getting to his final destination.

But every time he got closer to his destination more doors appeared and opened. He often gets lost in himself like this, seemingly wandering his own mind until he was able to snap himself out of it and get back into where he was currently. He’s done this for so many years now that it’s normal to him, just like combing one’s hair or putting on shoes.

He takes the pan of the stove, turning it off with a click, before setting it on the metal counter top and rummaging for bowls for the two of them. Kylo migrates his stool over to the table, apparently intending to just eat in the kitchen, which Hux lacks problem with. Once he puts the potatoes into the bowl, and has given Kylo both a spoon and a fork, and found a stool for himself, they start eating.

The potatoes are browned and delicious, soft, and crunchy simultaneously. The peppers and onions give it flavor, sweet, smokey, and oh so satisfying as Kylo finds himself eating them voraciously as if it’s the last meal he’ll ever have.

“What are these?” Kylo asks, mouth full of food and forgetting his manners, Hux not minding at all as he smiles, eyes shining and overjoyed Kylo loves his cooking. Hux has had it so much that it doesn’t mean much to him, but Kylo has apparently never had them, so that makes it all the more special.

“Potatoes O’Brien. Or at least that’s what they’re known as on Arkanis. It’s a sort of comfort food, I suppose. I’m glad you like them,” Hux says, spearing a cube of his own potatoes and eating it, jaw working silently.

Kylo finishes his bowl by the time Hux has gotten halfway through his, even going so far as to lick the bowl clean, before licking any remaining flavor off his plump lips. There’s more in the pan, which he helps himself to, giving himself about less than half of what he ate before, so as not to eat to the point of sickness.

“We had them for breakfast on the last day of every weekly cycle. A sort of tradition,” Hux muses softly, fighting back laughter and a grin as Kylo gives himself hiccups from eating too fast.

“That’s _hic_ lovely _hic_ Hux,” Kylo hiccups, before smiling with just the slightest tinge of embarrassment of his excessive eagerness about Hux’s food, even though Hux is flattered by it, as expressed blatantly through the force and the expression on his face.

Hux can smile with his eyes, which is something Kylo also finds increasingly endearing. When Hux actually smiles, a genuine smile, the corners of his eyes crinkle up, and he practically glows, if only for a second. His whole disposition changes when he’s happy, Kylo is learning; better posture, his eyes look less steely, seemingly getting lighter if that’s even possible.

“Tomorrow we need to pick out flowers and a few other things for the wedding. How does the afternoon sound to you?” Kylo asks, watching Hux eat with strange interest, Hux swallows, mulls over Kylo’s question.

“Perfectly fine with me,” He shrugs, Kylo nodding in response as they enter into another staring contest, this time they both look away at the same time. Hux still thinks Kylo’s eyes are beautiful, Kylo feeling the same way with Huxs’.

“Wonderful,” Kylo beams, and they both smile. Kylo is overjoyed to see Hux in such a good mood, and hopes that he’ll stay this way for as long as possible...happiness is such a great look on him, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this has taken so long, but I've been aggressively re-editing and changing parts of this chapter to my liking bc I'm a perfectionist with my works lmao. Anyways, expect consistent updates I'm sorry my last few weeks have been full of school and long errands so I don't have any time to write. 
> 
> One of my absolute most favorite headcanons\fanon ideas about Hux has to be that he changes his accent bc I think it's one of the most realistic. I imagine Arkanis accents to sound like Irish ones, of all different types. 
> 
> Kylo's favorite hobby is Hux-watching bc anyone can see birds in Theed and plus Hux is way more interesting ;)
> 
> (I'll stop now)
> 
> also, reminder you can find me on Tumblr at goldenamidala.tumblr.com I'm not very active bc I'm too shy to interact w\the fandom on Tumblr even though you guys seem so nice I'm just stiflingly awkward and shy. Feel free to ask questions or maybe send some prompts idk. Or just talk.
> 
> edit: also potatoes o'brien are freaking delicious and i doubt they have them in the sw universe but oh well. Hux's tradition of having them every end day on the week cycle is based off of something my family does (we have them every sunday for breakfast)


	6. Of Flowers And Daydreams

Hux is amazed to see that flowers came in colors he had never known existed, some even being mixtures of multiple colors, one looking as if it were the whole color spectrum itself. The florist is chattering excitedly to Kylo, who looks equally excited, and even though Hux doesn’t understand why one would be excited over flowers he tries to be happy too. Millie eyes the flowers strangely, occasionally sniffing one that Kylo offered her and either recoils or continues to sniff.

She looks uneasily at the florist, giving Hux flashbacks to when he had first arrived and the look that Millie had given him then. Her dark pupils are visible in the morning light streaming through the large windows as they expand and contract.

“These ones are from Takadona, your majesty, they’re very common and they smell very sweet!” The florist chirps, handing Kylo a blue flower with white spots all over it. The spots remind Hux of Kylo’s beauty marks, so he likes them for that reason only.

Kylo smells it while the florist looks on jubilantly, before releasing a small surprised “oh”.

“Goodness me, they smell like sweet bread!” Kylo exclaims, before laughing grandly, apparently very amused.

“Would you like to smell it, Hux?” Kylo asks, handing the tall flower over to Hux, who smells it apprehensively, finding Kylo’s previous exclamation to be true; they did indeed smell like traditional sweet bread.

“I suppose they do. They’re rather lovely, I must admit,” Hux murmurs, twirling the green stem between his index and thumb. Kylo and the florist both look equally ecstatic at Hux’s words.

Phasma stands perfectly still, icy eyes occasionally flickering about as she keeps her guard up, even though the failed assassination attempt had been over a week ago now. Hux has the strangest feeling she thinks of him as somehow responsible, which admittedly offends him, but he says nothing. Hux’s stomach growls lowly, before releasing a strange assortment of gurgles and whines.

He internally chastises it, knowing it won’t help but doing it regardless, then almost as if in spite it gurgles even louder. Hux sighs deeply before deciding to focus on other things, rather than his growling stomach.

Kylo looks magnificent in his black velvet jumpsuit, the top wraps around his neck like a choker, a large hole in the middle of his chest with mesh in it. His heels click as he walks around the table and surveys the vast choices in flowers, taking equal amounts of time to study them so he knows exactly what he wants.

The florist is a small young woman with short medium brown hair and hazel eyes that are more green than brown. She looks to be just as starstruck about Kylo as Hux is, following him around the table like a lost puppy and looking at him expectantly every time he looks just the slightest bit longer at a certain vase full of flowers.

“These are all so lovely, Asori. I’m simply stumped as to which ones I want,” Kylo huffs, placing his head in his hand as his eyes flicker about the many flowers on the table, a frown crossing his features as he tries desperately to decide.

He taps his fingers on the darkwood table rhythmically, mind swimming as he thinks about all of his options, gnawing at the inside of his cheek absentmindedly as he does so. Asori assures him he has plenty of time to decide, and that she can come back at a later time if necessary.

“I don’t want to inconvenience you, I’m sure you have plenty other customers that are better at decision making than I am,” Kylo laughs, and Asori laughs along with him, waving her hand dismissively.

“It’s no problem, I assure you, your majesty,” She murmurs sweetly, looking rather adoringly at Kylo. That was another thing about him; his subjects loved him, too. He was a good Prince, and a good person in general, so that wasn’t exactly surprising to Hux. His kindness and patience are endless, as are his wisdom and rationality, all perfect traits for a ruler.

“What do you think, Hux?” Kylo asks, switching his attention entirely to Hux, Asori following in suit, making Hux fidget in his seat as four pairs of eyes stare at him expectantly. Oh, right, he was getting married too.

“Those blue ones with the white spots were fine,” He sputters, mind racing as he thinks back to all of the flowers Kylo had offered him to look at. His palate floods with smells and colors as he remembers them, Asori and Kylo waiting patiently for any further additions.

 

“And er- the pink blossoms, the lilies, and those tiny royal blue ones were rather cute as well,” Hux says, and Kylo nods, his beautiful amber eyes still trained only on him.

“I’ll get back to you with what I choose later,” Kylo says softly to Asori, who agrees it would be a good idea, proceeds to pack up the flowers and their vases rather quickly, before exiting the palace.

“Let’s get you something to eat,” Kylo says to Hux, who flushes in embarrassment at the realization the grumblings of his stomach were loud enough for Kylo (and probably Asori) to hear. Kylo leads Hux into the kitchen, giving him three options; Kylo cooking for him, cooking for himself, or calling one of the palace cooks.

“You’d cook for me?” Hux asks, heart thrumming as Kylo vigorously nods, a bright smile on his face as his eyes light up.

“I do so miss cooking. Not that our cooks’ food is bad, it’s quite wonderful!” Kylo clarifies, apparently finding his exclamation to be somehow offensive to his chefs and their skills in culinary arts.

“If you don’t mind, I’d absolutely love that,” Hux murmurs, sitting down on the small wooden stool that Kylo had sat on the night prior while watching him. The tables have turned.

“Wonderful!” Kylo says, clapping his hands together as another excited exclamation before he sets to work, apparently already knowing what Hux wanted, or deciding to surprise him. Either way, Hux is excited to see what Kylo will come up with.

One thing that is very different from when Hux had cooked is that Kylo is actually _levitating_ the ingredients onto the table, as well as the pans and cooking utensils. The pan lands with a metallic clang on the stove, which was already turned on beforehand. Hux quickly surveys what is on the table, finding simple ingredients most likely for a regular breakfast, a bag of flour, eggs, some sort of meat, butter, and the like. Kylo tucks some of his dark hair behind an ear, concentration furrowing his brows as he decides in what order he’s going to make the food.

Hux feels warm and he’s entirely sure it’s not because of the temperature as he sits and watches this beautiful man cook for him, mind filled with scenarios he’s sure will never happen.

One vivid one in particular flashes in his mind; an image of Kylo cooking, Hux behind him with his arms looped around his midsection, head nestled in the crevice where his neck and his shoulder meets as he watches him cook, feeling the heat of his skin, feeling so very content. Hux presses a soft kiss to the side of his neck and Kylo sighs, eyes fluttering closed as his eyelashes lie dark and long against a lightly freckled cheek. Kylo’s sweet, spicy scent floods Hux’s nose pleasantly as they simply stand and enjoy one another’s touch, their heartbeats thud together as if they are sharing the same heart, as if they had absorbed one another and were one person.

Hux would give Kylo his heart if physically possible. The feeling is mutual, or so it would seem, but alas it is simply a fantasy which Hux slowly finds himself drifting out of. As he stares at the actual Kylo he thinks about how easily it would be to simply do as fantasy Hux had done, wrap his arms around his midsection and kiss him.

 

Actual Hux doesn’t have nearly enough confidence for that, so he stares and imagines wistfully. He doesn’t even notice when Kylo stiffens, freezing in place with an egg in hand, before slowly returning to what he was doing prior.

The eggshell cracks against the lip of the pan when he taps it, prying it open over the rapidly heating pan before the yolk oozes out, releasing a hiss as it slowly begins cooking. Kylo grabs a knife and a loaf of freshly made bread, cutting it into four neat squares and walking over to what appeared to be a very shiny metallic toaster, before popping them in and pressing down the slab.

“You know what we need? Music,” Kylo muses, answering his own question as he goes over to a tiny radio, flickering through station as various voices and songs come through, passing over news stations and political stations, finally falling onto a pop station where a woman is singing in some language that isn’t basic.

Her voice is sweet and high as she sings, the music relaxed and jazzy, brass and bass, light drums in the background.

Hux knows many languages, this one included, and listens to what she sings, his brain deciphering what exactly it is she’s singing. It appears to be some sort of love song, talking about that even if they have nothing they have each other, or something to that extent. Her voice raises in a crescendo, before the song slowly fades out with a flourish of the brass instruments and bass.

Phasma has positioned herself in the corner of the room nearest the radio, looking rather bored by the music that played, or just bored in general as Kylo begins buttering the finished pieces of toast, before putting them aside and tending to the eggs and meat which Hux didn’t even see him put in the pan. He must’ve been daydreaming again, or maybe it was when he was trying to understand the jazzy pop song. Either way, the food appears to be just about done as Kylo plates it, before rummaging about in the towering refrigerator and producing a cold pitcher of what appears to be orange juice, giving the inside a hard stare as he seemingly decides whether or not to take something else out, opting not to and closing the door.

 

A plate of beautifully arranged breakfast is placed in front of Hux, as well as a wine glass full of orange juice, which is strangely amusing to him as he looks over the tantalizing breakfast Kylo has so dutifully made for him, his stomach grumbles in approval and encourages him to get to eating.

“I daresay you’re a far more of a superior cook than I am,” Hux mumbles with a mouthful of sublimely cooked eggs. Kylo chuckles softly, a pleased smile decorating his features as he simply watches Hux eat with fascination.

Hux is actively fighting the urge to wolf his food down because it would be extremely impolite and hiccups are embarrassing, especially in front of Kylo who is so seriously watching him, not to mention how attractive Hux finds him.

“Who taught you to cook? Or are you self-taught?” Hux queries, before taking a sip of the orange juice.

“It’s a mixture, I suppose. My father cooked more than my mother, so I suppose I picked it up from him.” Kylo says thoughtfully, and Hux takes this new information and ponders it.

Who exactly were Kylo’s parents? He knew of his relation to Padmé Amidala and her reported husband Anakin Skywalker, and he knew of Luke Skywalker, the jedi knight. If what he assumes is correct, then Luke Skywalker is the son of Anakin and Padmé, and obviously a relation to Kylo of some sort.

“If I may ask, who are your parents?” Hux murmurs, fiddling with the cream colored table cloth on the table as he fidgets.

 

“Han Solo and General Leia Organa,” Kylo says wistfully, sighing through his nose softly as his expression turns sad, homesick almost.

Hux feels his heart jump and his blood run cold, before regaining enough composure to realize exactly what this means. Princess, or rather, General from what Kylo has just said, Organa. The Leia Organa that is actively fighting against The First Order, the order that Hux is to be running alongside Snoke.The Leia Organa that had a major part in destroying The Empire. The Leia Organa with a fierce temper and an amazingly brilliant strategic mind to boot.

Han Solo is a mystery to most, some have said he is a war hero, others have said he is simply a smuggler and trickster. Hux has heard he has a wookiee companion and a ship known as The Falcon, but otherwise not much else. Something about cantinas flickers through his mind briefly, as well. As for Luke Skywalker, he knows he has gone into hiding with his new group of Jedi, of where he is uncertain and not interested in, for Skywalker is not useful for their needs, or information currently. He is also widely viewed as a hero, and a colossal one at that, but after he disappeared it seemed that all of the talk about him disappeared along with him, the newer generations only viewing him as a myth now.

 

“I’m confused….It was my understanding you were related to Senator Padmé Amidala and an Anakin Skywalker,” Hux murmurs, furrowing his brow as he stares at Kylo, who looks about equally perplexed as Hux feels.

“My mother is the daughter of Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala...It is a very long and rather confusing story that I’d be more than willing to explain,” Kylo clarifies, smiling at Hux, who smiles back and waits for Kylo to start.

“It all started with a Jedi Knight and his apprentice, and what was formerly known as the Trade Federation, that had blockades all around our beautiful planet, Naboo,” Kylo begins, the tone of his voice telling Hux he himself had heard this very story many times over, and Hux is on the end of his seat, focusing only on Kylo’s voice and the vivid story he is beginning to tell.

  
~

 

Hux’s head is swimming by the time Kylo has finished telling the story, his mind is overflowing with this tidal wave of new information and he still has no idea what to do with it all, neither does his brain apparently.

“They certainly don’t tell you these things in the Academy,” Hux says, sounding winded as if he had run a marathon. His brain is buzzing, and Kylo smiles sympathetically as he notices Hux’s struggles to process everything he has just been told.

“These galaxies have seen so many tragedies. So have all of the people, and to this day some are still affected by what had transpired all those years ago,” Kylo says, his expressive hazel eyes looking haunted as if reliving the pain the galaxy had endured, tears lining them as he sits with his head in his folded hands.

“My mother is an exceptionally strong woman. My respect for her is limitless, and to go through what she has gone through and do it with defiance and ferocity incomparable to even the most deadliest beasts is outstandingly amazing and applaudable,” Kylo gushes, his eyes flicker with longing, perhaps because he hasn’t seen her in quite a bit, Hux is unsure.

 

Kylo is practically glowing with pride now, and Hux can only mutely nod because he knows any words he can say will be insignificant compared to Kylo’s deep admiration and praise of his mother.

“To this day she is still rebelling against the evils that plague this galaxy,” Kylo grins, and Hux feels his blood running cold again, because he knows exactly what Kylo is talking about, even though Kylo himself seems so unaware. Hux is at a loss of what to do now, he is utterly confused as he ponders his options.

Option one:He can tell Kylo the truth of who exactly it is he works for and suffer the consequences, which are most likely going to end up with a broken engagement and possible death or turning in and imprisonment of Hux to General Organa and The Resistance, and Kylo hating him to the very core of his being.

The second outcome would be much worse, however.

 

Option two: Hux runs away from The First Order, defies Snoke, defies his father’s wishes, and then he and Kylo live happily ever after until Snoke realizes Hux’s treachery and executes both he and Kylo, leaving Naboo to absolutely nobody except for Snoke’s forces, cue even more death, destruction and misery. These are the only outcomes he can see from his few choices, and one thought lingers far off deep inside of his mind. It is absolutely impossible and stupid, yet it persists, and his mind is yelling at him as if trying to get his attention so he will just at least _listen_.

 _“Fine,”_ Hux hisses at himself mentally, carefully thinking over the third option he has.

 

Option three: Hux commits treachery against Snoke and The Order, teams up with Kylo and takes Snoke down before he even realizes, and with Snoke’s fall, The Order falls as well, crashing and burning into ashes. Then he and Kylo truly live happily ever after.

 

 _“I can’t believe I’m doing this,”_ Hux moans internally, as he realizes the only option that is going to work is the third one, as ridiculous and as much of a stereotypical fairy-tale as it sounds.

This is going to be difficult, and messy, and complicated, but he’ll do it or die trying, and he will protect Kylo and Naboo, even if it ends up with him dead, because he’s done so much wrong in his life against innocents that now it’s his only chance to make things right. He doesn’t want to be put upon a pedestal and worshipped, only to do the right thing, and this is the right thing, or so he is convincing himself.

 _“For Kylo...and General Organa,”_ Hux sighs mentally, already feeling exhausted as he begins to plan, strategies unraveling in his mind as he carefully and meticulously thinks everything out.

  
~

 

Obviously, a strategy for high treason can’t be made in one day, so Hux decides to head to the Inn and let his ideas stew. Kylo offers to walk him there, but Hux vigilantly denies, insisting he must stay within the walls of the palace, lest he be a much easier target for potential assassins.

“The same could go for you,” Kylo huffs, frowning at Hux, who simply smiles at him, shaking his head.

“I’ll be fine, your majesty,” Hux murmurs, liking the pleasant way Kylo’s title sits on his tongue.

“I promise,” He continues in a soft whisper meant only for Kylo’s ears, as he reaches for his hand to squeeze reassuringly.

  
Gods above in the stars, does Kylo look so beautiful in moonlight. It shines off of his ebony hair and bathes him in beautiful dark blue and white light, his curly mane framing his features as they stare, Hux’s heart is beating rapidly against his chest, his breathing quickening as he takes in the sight of his beautiful fianceé bathed in moonlight. Their eyes meet, and Hux takes Kylo’s hand, raising it slowly to his lips with intent to kiss it, before Kylo quickly takes it away, much to Hux’s shock. Had he done something wrong?

 

Kylo’s eyes glow almost amber in this light, his wild hair looks so tempting to run a hand through, and his full lips look soft enough to kiss. His eyes flicker over Hux’s face, and Hux senses he wants to say something, but is restraining himself, or at least attempting to.

“May I….” Kylo begins, his voice low and deep, deeper than it usually is as he desperately tries to force the words out, fearing something.

“May I kiss you?” He breathes, before they both settle into silence, unconsciously shifting closer to one another, and Hux wants to laugh, to cry, something, because he is so euphoric that he is almost in a trance.

“Please,” He whispers quickly, before repeating it again as they get closer, and closer still, before there is merely millimeters between them, and their noses brush as they stare deeply into one another’s eyes, Hux has never seen Kylo’s eyes so close before.

They look like gems, almost, twinkling in the moonlight like stars, his inky black pupils are nearly the size of dinner plates. Hux instinctively closes his eyes when he feels Kylo’s soft lips just barely brush against his, and then they meet, and Hux feels like he could win any war just so long as the feeling Kylo giving him lasts.

 

Hux puts his cold hand on Kylo’s warm freckled cheek as their lips brush ever so softly, like a light breeze rustling through grass on a spring morning. He can feel Kylo smiling against him as he sighs softly, realizing just how affection-starved he’s been these miserable 34 years, as Kylo wraps his free arm around Hux in a strong embrace, the other hand making a mess of Hux’s previously perfect copper hair, not that he gave two damns.

Kylo could do anything he wanted as long as they were close, touching, kissing one another. But alas, they both need air to live, and so they break the kiss, both of their eyes closed as their foreheads touch, Hux cradling Kylo’s face, Kylo’s hand brushing down from Hux’s cheek to his neck as they simply bask in the pure affection they have just shared with one another. Hux can hear the cicadas singing loudly, as if serenading them, and the distant sound of a waterfall.

“Now I don’t want to go back to the Inn,” Hux laughs softly, and Kylo laughs right on along with him, and now they are both laughing, smiling and so happy in each others presence in the soft moonlight lit palace courtyard filled with flowers and grass and two beating hearts. He wants so desperately to tell Kylo, but he’s so afraid, even though what happened should make his mind feel more inclined to say it, it makes him scared of rejection even more, knowing the sting would hurt even more now that they have kissed.

 

Hux suddenly feels Kylo pressing soft kisses against his cheeks and the bridge of his nose, his forehead, down to the tip of his nose, and then their lips met again, this time for a bit less than they previously had.

“I’ve always wanted to kiss your freckles. Shame your shoulders are covered because I know you have them there too,” Kylo murmurs lowly, his deep voice sending familiar chills up Hux’s spine. Kylo seems to sense this as he slowly runs the fingertips of his right hand up Hux’s clothed spine, until both of them are embracing one another.

“How long have you been wanting to kiss me?” Hux blurts nervously, unsure of what to say, because he is still so stunned, dizzy and entranced from Kylo’s sweet kiss.

“Since I first laid eyes on you. And then it amplified as I got to know you,” Kylo admits, chuckling softly to himself, his words lightly muffled by Hux’s shoulder, as he is resting his face against it.

“Oh,” Hux says softly, because what else _is there_ to say once you realize that he’s been wanting you as long as you’ve been wanting him, as irrational as it seems, but love is irrational as Hux is learning. Irrational and oh so mesmerizing.

“ _Oh_ ,” Kylo repeats teasingly, a infuriatingly attractive smug smirk on his lips as they both open their eyes and he looks down at Hux with that firey stare of his, those intensely alluring amber eyes framed by delicately long black eyelashes, and a beauty mark just at the edge of his bottom eyelid. Hux is absolutely sure if Kylo let go of him now he’d topple over onto the cobblestone pavement and turn into a pile of unrecognizable goo, the last part obviously isn’t going to happen, but he’s pretty sure he will fall over if Kylo releases him from their embrace, but Kylo obviously has no intention of letting him go quite yet, not that Hux is complaining at all.

 

Over Kylo’s shoulder Hux catches a glimpse of the strangest lizard he’s ever seen in his life. It is gigantic and fast and if his eyes aren’t deceiving him, its scales are colored like a rainbow. It looks at Hux, tilting its head from left to right, before rising up onto its hind legs like a human and staring directly at him, before sticking a long pointed pink tongue out at him like a disobedient child, getting back onto all four legs and skittering off clumsily in the direction of some red flowers.

At this point Hux believes this is either a dream or the force is thoroughly enjoying fucking around with him. He finds himself caring less, because at this moment he is so happy that not even a cheeky rainbow colored lizard who thinks it’s a human can ruin his delight.

Kylo reluctantly loosens up his grip, but still doesn’t let Hux go, his hands slipping down his shoulders and arms to Hux’s own hands, where they clasp together.

“I suppose I should let you get back to the Inn now...I’ve just been enjoying your company so much,” Kylo sighs, and Hux feels even more giddy glee at Kylo’s words, the fact that Kylo is enjoying this as much as he is. Kylo is running his thumbs along the top of Hux’s hands, an act which is soothing to Hux to the point of near drowsiness.

“Until tomorrow, Hux,” Kylo says, pressing a last kiss against Hux’s lips as they slowly move apart, the coldness of the night immediately washing over the shared heat between them.

“Until tomorrow, My Prince,” Hux murmurs adoringly, and both of their radiant smiles challenge even the sun in their brightness.

 

If Hux were to die now he would die a happy man.

 

As Hux walks away, he looks over his shoulder and sees Kylo tracing his lips with a finger, a goofy look on his face as he laughs softly to himself, closing his eyes and reliving what had just happened only five minutes prior, committing it to permanent memory. Hux strolls along in this nighttime hour belatedly, not even caring he’s walked into two different trees twice or tripped over about three rocks, because he has just kissed Prince Kylo Amidala, the man he is hopelessly in love with, and that is enough to keep him from caring about everything for the moment.

He dreams of Kylo all night, of his brilliant smile and vibrant eyes, of their kiss, of them running around in a green field of purple wildflowers while the sun smiles down upon them, of explosive cheers as their wedding procession follows and confetti and rice rain down upon them as they stand on their finely decorated float, and then they stare into one another’s eyes, laughing boisterously before kissing one another deeply.

For the first time in a long time Armitage Hux feels completely and fully content. He cannot wait to see Kylo first thing tomorrow morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for my absence, but I've been extremely busy since February, and it's gone all the way through March surprisingly enough. Hope you all are doing well!
> 
> We finally got a kiss!!!! I swear it's been so difficult for me not to have them kissing from the get-go I'm like that kid aggressively mashing their dolls together to make them kiss with these two lmao. And plot! And fluff and a little bit of humor. Fun fact: that scene with the rainbow lizard was inspired by a weird-ass dream I had where basically the same thing happened except I was hiking and obviously not Hux. 
> 
> Notes: Kylo's jumpsuit looks something like this except with mesh in the middle obviously; http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/img-thing?.out=jpg&size=l&tid=190557430  
> and with the whole thing with Hux and Kylo's encounter: Kylo does not know of what extent Hux is in The First Order, he doesn't even know at all. He had only assumed Hux and his family were people who had survived the fall of the Empire, nobody except those involved knows much to anything about the Academy. He assumes Hux is a General from a neighboring army to The Resistance who rebelled against his father's Empiric way of thinking. 
> 
> that's not a spoiler, btw, just wanted to let you guys know. I hope you enjoyed and thank you so much for all of the positive feedback and waiting and patience I really do appreciate it!


	7. Of dancing, dares, and dark force energies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning:
> 
> This chapter does get heavy and kind of dark in the middle, I'm taking about intrusive, self hating thoughts, paranoia, anxiety, just a bunch of fun stuff (not really lmao). based kind of off my own experiences, but anyways. Also, there's a brief mention\implication of self harm and mention of blood because of that if that squicks you out I'd advise you to avoid it\come back to it later if you're able...i'll mark the sections with a few black flag symbols that should look like this ⚑ ⚑ i hope you guys can see them, but even if you can't i think you can still see boxes? idk I hope it works. the sections are fairly short and there's only two or three. The section where I put one black flag instead of three is where the mention\implication of the self harm is. hope they don't distract too much I just felt the need to mark it. this chapter isn't all heavy, btw. i'll stop rambling now..

Hux is sinking in quicksand...not literally, of course, but emotionally. His stomach churns with butterflies as his mind insists upon repeating the kisses he and Kylo had shared in the pale blue moonlight last night. His heart bumps, its rhythm increasing as phantom sensations briefly wash over his body.

Goosebumps flutter across his entire body as he thinks about how soft Kylo’s lips were, how delicate and tender his touch was, and how his eyes shined so beautifully, every emotion made exceptionally clear with just a look. He didn’t need to speak because his eyes conveyed it effortlessly.

_“Oh, Kylo….what have you done to me?”_

_~_

It’s a little past noon, when the sun is high in the sky and shining, its rays like long fingers of heat touching every available area it can get its hands on. Kylo and Hux are chatting over tea, Kylo’s booming laugh ringing through the courtyard when Hux tells a dry joke about one of the politicians from Arkanis, snorting afterwards. Hux both fears and desperately wants to speak about what had happened the night prior, but every time he almost begins the sentence it gets stuck in his throat painfully like a round rock. How would he even go about it, anyway? ‘Hello, yes, I can’t stop thinking about the way you kissed me last night, let’s discuss, shall we?’ He winces at the thought.

Kylo looks stunning, as usual, wearing a dress that is pure white at the very top, just the barest bit sheer so you can partially see the skin of his collarbones and chest. It glitters when sunlight hits it, but not blindingly so. As it progresses, it turns to an ashy gray, and then a deep midnight black sheer with white in the back as it ruffles around his legs.

It is a beautiful ballgown, made of fluffy materials and chiffon that makes it look as if he floats every time he walks. His makeup is pristine, a simple yet elegant intense smokey eye that makes the gold and green hues in his eyes pop, his lips a deep wine red. He seems to sense Hux’s inner turmoil as he looks him over, and Hux knows this is simply from his expression because he does not feel the curious tendrils of the force in his mind. He frowns, staring Hux down as he always does when he knows something’s amiss.

“What bothers you, love?” Kylo murmurs, troubled, as he rests the edge of his jaw on the palm of his hand, Hux becoming even more miserable at the pet name but desperately trying not to show it.

“Trivial matters,” He lies, trying to reign in his emotions and apparent facial expression that gives him away so easily, finding it exceptionally harder than usual. Kylo frowns even more, clearly finding Hux’s answer to be false.

“That’s not true,” Kylo insists, moving his chair closer to Hux and reaching his hand out so both of them touch.

Hux sighs heavily through his nose, taking Kylo’s hand and pressing it delicately against his lips before putting it against his cheek and nuzzling against it, the cool metal of Kylo’s many rings a contrast between the warmth of his hand.

“What are we?” Hux says, before mentally smacking himself upside the head. _Fianceés, you dolt!_

_“You know what you meant. The arrangement was meant for mutual benefit, not love, yet there’s something more,”_ another part of his mind interjects, and Hux realizes his question wasn’t so foolish after all.

“What do you want us to be?” Kylo murmurs, finally catching on, to his relief.

“I...don’t know,” Hux admits, knowing that his answer is only partially true. _Husbands. But not in the sense we were originally going to be...proper husbands….husbands in love._ Kylo sees through this too, Hux can tell by the unsatisfied look in his eyes.

“Don’t be afraid...I feel it too,” Kylo breathes, his voice a low raspy baritone, moving in even closer until their faces are merely inches (if that) apart, his eyes blazing fiercely into Hux as he stays there, infuriatingly close and teasing Hux, or rather, daring him.

“What makes you think I’m afraid?” Hux challenges, eagerly awaiting Kylo’s response.

Kylo grins, broad and dazzling, snickering softly to himself for reasons unknown to Hux, before flashing his eyes in a brazen dare. _“Do it. I know you want to.”_ Fine. If Kylo thinks he can simply tease Hux unpunished he thinks wrong.

Hux does as Kylo expects him to, tilts his head, inches closer, until their lips just barely touch, and then...pulls back, laughing belatedly at Kylo’s confused and frustrated expression.

“You think you can tease me, Prince Kylo Organa-Amidala? _Just try me_. I can play your game too,” He grins, and Kylo looks positively ecstatic, an almost maniacal grin crossing his beautiful features as he plots something out.

“I have an idea...let’s dance! We have to prepare for our first dance when we’re married, after all,” Kylo giggles coyly, tugging Hux across the room into the widest part of it where there’s plenty of space for the both of them, the beautiful gold and white marble flooring decorated with a large sun, its rays depicted as long, wavy almost spike-ish tendrils, a white and black crescent moon depicted in the far left corner.

  
The game begins.

 

The room suddenly fills with traditional waltz music, the origin of it indiscernible to Hux, who correctly guesses that Kylo simply used the force so he wouldn’t have to get the radio. Hux shifts his hand down to Kylo’s hip, Kylo doing the same as well as their free hands clasp together, and then they dance. He remembers being forced to learn how to dance for the many balls The Academy hosted, strangely the steps are fresh in his mind as they move swiftly together. One-two, one-two, three-four, three-four, a spin, and then he dips Kylo lowly to the floor, once again teasing him with a simple peck on the cheek, before he swoops him back up.

Kylo laughs breathlessly, his cheeks flushed rosy red as they joyously dance together, Kylo occasionally pulling Hux much closer than he needed to be, Hux occasionally teasingly brushing his fingers very slowly up Kylo’s arm, or spine.

“Are you enjoying yourself, _Ciarán_?” Kylo purrs, Hux choking on air at the fact that Kylo knew his first name, Kylo laughing amusedly at his response.

“You go by your middle name, Armitage. I like your first name much better to be honest,” Kylo chirps as they sway and swirl, the music loud and vibrant as the instruments play melodically.

“I’m impressed you pronounced it correctly on the first try. Usually takes people about three,” Hux chortles, violins strumming pleasantly in his ears as they have a miniature staring contest, Hux breaking eye contact first, as usual.

“I aim to please,” Kylo flirts, leaning in and giving Hux the first proper kiss of the night.

If he is seeking to disarm Hux, he’s sure in for a surprise as Hux quickly takes over the kiss, cradling the side of Kylo’s face as he kisses his Prince deeply, occasionally giving him a few reprimanding nips as he tries to regain dominance in the kiss. Miraculously, they are still dancing, even though they have their eyes closed and they’re focused on anything else _but_ dancing. Kylo gasps and laughs grandly as Hux picks him up, misjudging exactly how heavy he was and in the process knocking them both over, Kylo landing on top of Hux who is dazed both from the kiss and the fall. 

Kylo smirks down at Hux from where he lay on his chest, running a teasing finger down Hux’s soft, pink lips, a strand of curly raven hair falling loose from his already loose ponytail and dangling attractively in front of his right eye.

“Something tells me that wasn’t planned,” He quips, pressing a soft peck against Hux’s thrumming pulse point before gracelessly flopping off of him, rolling on his back and laying himself up against Hux.

“I know you’re not used to feeling this way,” Kylo begins thoughtfully, his eyes flickering about as he digs through his mind for the best way to phrase what he plans on saying.

“And I know you’ve never experienced what you’ve experienced with me, which is why I think we should take it slow,” he continues, tilting his head to lock eyes with Hux, green eyes that remind Kylo of ferns meeting eyes of amber, rivalling the gem they were named after.

“I don’t care how long it takes. Weeks, months, years, time means nothing to me...you do. Don’t ever feel rushed, please take as much time as you need,” Kylo murmurs, looking at Hux lovingly, lightly nuzzling against his shoulder which he has smushed himself up against.

Hux feels so relieved, so grateful to have someone like Kylo. Whatever doubts he had previously are gone now, and he wonders how in this world or any other how he’s gotten so damn lucky.

“Kylo?”

“Yes?”

“I...I-”

“I know,”

 

~

 

Night has fallen over the fair city of Theed, and the cicadas are in full force, serenading the moons sweetly with their chorus of chirps. Shadows blanket across everything else the moons do not touch, leaving it in black, purple and blue darkness, the only thing disrupting the utter silence (not including the cicadas) was Millie’s sudden sneeze.

“You’re so perfect for each other, master!” Lucien giggles, and Oré smacks her lightly on the shoulder, but her own high giggles give her away as well. Kylo is positively beaming as Amira brushes through his thick wavy hair dutifully, her eyes closed blissfully as she does so.

Phasma rolls her eyes from where she sits on a round chair in the corner closest to Kylo’s luxurious bed, but smiles nonetheless, amused at the girls’ antics.

“Where has Jianna gone off to?” Malani huffs, brushing a long strand of brown hair out of her eyes as she digs through drawer after drawer to find a hair tie, almost giving up in her frustration before finding one in the drawer of Kylo’s vanity.

She offers it to Amira, who softly takes it out of her tan hand with a small, polite “Thank you,”.

“Nissa, could you hand me the remote?” Cara begs, making a disgusted face at the holo-tv, which was currently playing Keeping Up With The Hutts, two female Hutts were having extremely explicit words with one another in Huttese, poking their mucky swamp colored fingers at one another as they gutturally argued.

Nissa flings it, accidentally smacking Cara in the forehead with it in the process and screaming apologies before being hunted down by Cara, fluffy pillow in hand and ready to brawl.

“It was a mistake!” Nissa screeches, narrowly dodging the pillow that is thrown harshly her way, before locking herself in Kylo’s closet, which does not deter Cara, who bangs on the door screaming just a bit more shrilly but just as aggressively as the Hutt on the holo had done only seconds prior.

“Teenagers,” Anya huffs from where she sits by Phasma, who snorts in agreement. She goes back to her knitting, needles clacking together pleasantly, her lilac hair tied back meticulously in a perfect bun.

Gale is snoring, curled up in a ball on Kylo’s soft, perfect bed, her mouth wide open as she makes sounds that rival a bantha, making Amira, Oré, and Lucien burst out into another fit of giggles for another reason.

Even Phasma laughs softly at Gale’s expense, a brief and unusual sound for her, as stoicism is her most prevalent facial feature and emotion. Her ice blue eyes still shine with laughter after the fact, even though her face has returned to its usual stony mask.

“I wonder what Mr. Hux is doing now,” Lucien ponders none-too subtly, looking out the window as if expecting to see Hux, her head cocked curiously while she holds her chin with her thumb and index fingers.

“I’m not spying on him,” Kylo says, knowing precisely what Lucien was implying he do, making her turn beet red and the rest of the girls giggle at her expense.

“That’s-...I-...” She sputters, before releasing a deep groan and hiding her face in her hands as her fellow handmaidens laugh even louder, waking up poor Gale in the process as her eyes shoot around, still half asleep, and an sleepily slurred “whuzzat?!”. Gale blinks one eye at a time like Millicent does, the gears in her head slowly working to wake the rest of itself and her body up as she stares hazily at the room and the people in it.

“How long was I out?” She rasps, shaking her head rapidly, immediately regretting the situation as she gets dizzy while sitting and topples back over into the pillows. Kylo looks back worriedly at her, but Cara and Nissa have gotten over the ridiculous argument and are now helping Gale wake up much easier.

 

~⚑ ⚑ ⚑

 

Kylo’s words flicker through Hux’s mind like a flash of light falling through leaves in a forest full of trees. They feel comforting, but a growing sense of anxiety gnaws at every fiber of his being, slipping into his very core as he sits awake in his bed in the middle of the night staring blankly at the ceiling. What if he never gets used to this? What if his paranoia makes him push Kylo away? What if his mind never lets him this believe Kylo is being honest, genuinely cares for him? He can easily ruin this, he knows...but he wants so desperately not to.

_What if Kylo is using him?_

_“No,”_ He says abhorrently, out loud as if to banish the thought with the power of his voice.

_“Yes,”_ a slimy snake of paranoia hisses cruelly to Hux, feasting disgustingly on his misery, anxiety, and self-loathing.

_“No,”_ Hux says again, his voice shaking but his tone forceful, uncertainty clawing into him with nails as sharp as knives. The snake has itself a feast now.

  
~ ⚑ ⚑ ⚑

 

He knows he has slept in two hours and he can hear his wrist-watch commlink chiming, yet he ignores it as he stares with black hatred at his reflection in the mirror, despising his red-rimmed eyes that are swollen, black bangs underneath from lack of sleep and tears lining them, and just about everything else about himself.

_Useless, useless, useless, useless…_

**_failure_ ** _._

“Shut your fucking mouth!” He bellows at his empty room, his face flushed red and his throat already feeling sore. He pants now, his face in his hands as he sobs, a raspy, mocking laughter fills his mind, growing louder and louder with every sob that tears harshly through his exhausted body.

 

~

 

“He won’t pick up,” Kylo says, his voice cracking as he paces around in feverish circles, gnawing anxiously at his knuckles as he desperately hits the “call back” button on his comm.

“There’s something wrong I know it, I can _feel_ it,” Kylo says, sounding brokenhearted as he himself looks close to tears.

“Please calm down, sir,” Phasma begs, something rare for her. Kylo has never been like this, not even when he was a teenager, never has he been so nervous, so scared.

“There’s something _wrong_ , Phasma, I can’t calm down!” He says, raising his voice, another rarity that hasn’t happened since his rebellious teenaged days. He even looks shocked at himself as his mouth gapes open, his eyes blown with shock as he reels at his explosive temper he thought he had under wraps years ago.

“I’m sorry,” Kylo says almost immediately after, to a hurt Phasma. She smiles, a bit of sadness lingering as she shakes her blonde head, as if to say it didn’t matter, but it did matter immensely to Kylo and he knows deep within himself he has just hurt her.

“Go to him,” She murmurs, her pale eyes meeting his and keeping contact, reassuring him that the sting isn’t as bad as he seems to think, even though it is directly from her he knows it’s only a partial truth, but decides to take her advice as he hurriedly puts on a coat. 

The door shuts closed with a colossal bang, leaving Phasma alone to her thoughts as she desperately tries to figure out why exactly just him raising his voice made her react in such a manner, why it stung.

Meanwhile, Kylo sprints down the street, his destination getting ever closer as the words on the wooden sign become more legible with every frantic footfall and strained breath; “Theed Comfort Inn”.

He knows he is being exceptionally reckless, running about in public without weapon or guards, but Hux needs him...of this he is absolutely certain.

_“I’m coming,”_ he promises, sending his message with the force, praying to the stars, sun, moon, and gods above that Hux can hear him. He barrels into the Inn’s lobby gracelessly, face red and panting with exertion, as the elderly couple running the Inn gawk and gape at the fact their Prince has just come in looking a mess, practically tearing the door off its hinges with the frantic way he entered.

“Goodness gracious! Your majesty, what brings you he-,”

“Hux. Armitage Hux,” He wheezes, cutting off the elderly gentleman who looked exceptionally concerned for his wellbeing, his bushy silver and gray eyebrows knit together in bewilderment as he scratches his balding head and squints at Kylo through his glasses.

“I’m afraid I don’t understand,” He says, trailing off, before Kylo speaks again, his breathing no less laboured.

“What...room?” He manages to get out, before settling into a mild coughing fit. Soundlessly, the man hands him a room card, and he runs up the wooden steps, his footfalls fading and echoing as the man in his wife stare at one another in stupefied silence, wondering simultaneously if what they just experienced was a hallucination.

~⚑

Hux jolts as Kylo bursts into his room, face flushed red and panting as if he had just run millions of miles, before Kylo stumbles closer, toppling over onto the bed and scrambling to Hux, whose hands are bleeding because he’s gotten back into that awful habit of clawing himself up.

“Kylo,” Hux breathes, all anxiety, self-hatred, paranoia disappearing, if only for now, because now Kylo is here, looking as distressed as Hux was just feeling, desperately taking in greedy gulps of air as he holds Hux in a vice grip, his breath hot against Hux’s clothed chest.

“Tell me you’re okay,” Kylo begs, sounding like he could burst out crying at any second, desperately nuzzling and grabbing at Hux as if to prove to himself he’s real, and he’s there.

“I’d be lying if I said I’m completely okay, but I’m better now that you’re here,” Hux says, prying himself off of Kylo to get the poor gasping man a drink of water from the bathroom tap, giving him the clear cup which he chugs down gratefully.

His breathing is slowly returning to normal, he’s panting much less as he stares at Hux, looking vulnerable, terrified, within the depths of his amber eyes.

And then he feels it. The sickening, slimy, evil slither of it flicker curiously around himself and Hux, his eyes widening as he feels the revoltingly evil force energy attempt to probe him, but his mind is too powerful, his own abilities in the force far too great for even this powerful energy, which seems to enrage it.

“Kylo? What’s going-,”

“Not a word,” Kylo hisses, covering Hux’s mouth as his head turns around, following the malicious tendril of black around the room with his adept eyes, snarling at it as if to threaten it.

“You are _not_ welcome,” He growls at it, and Hux stares at him, wondering if the exhaustion has made him so lightheaded that he’s having some sort of meltdown.

“Wha?” Hux garbles against Kylo’s hand, before his pupils widen as Kylo takes his hand, and then he suddenly sees _it._

Long tentacles of pure black something slither grotesquely around the room, on the walls, floor, ceiling, similar to the “snakes” Hux has personified with his anxiety and paranoia.

_“What are those?”_ Hux thinks, trying to count them but finding the amount far too vast to even attempt to count.

_“This is somebody’s force energy...and whoever it is is not good,”_ Kylo’s voice responds in Hux’s mind, making him jump, and then suddenly it all clicks together. 

While Hux does occasionally have those type of thoughts, these things, whatever the kriff they are, have been _amplifying_ them, deliberately making them so unbearable, insufferably painful that Hux would drown in his own paranoia and end up making an awful decision, or ruin things with Kylo. He tugs down Kylo’s hand forcefully, glaring at it with icy hatred and disgust, before snarling “How fucking dare you?!” to it, as if it would help. If anything, these tentacles become livid, shooting out at him and Kylo, Hux closing his eyes and expecting the worst and damning his own quick, firey temper.

The room is quiet for a second, before being filled with disgusting hisses and gurgles. Hux snaps his eyes open, peering over the side of the bed as what is left of the tentacles boils and sizzles on the floor, puddles of disgusting inky goop. Kylo’s hand is out, and when he closes it into a fist the goop releases a high-pitched mixture of a wail and shriek, before disappearing completely.

Hux blinks, unsure of what else to do as Kylo seethes, gripping onto him protectively. Kylo’s hands are sweaty, but Hux doesn’t even mind as they simply glare heatedly at the places the force tentacles once were, as if expecting them to suddenly come back.

“You’re not safe here. Pack your bags, you’re coming with me to live in the palace,” Kylo says stiffly, not even giving Hux an option, rising from the bed and walking, or rather, stomping, to the bathroom to wash his face.

Hux sits, wondering why these things happen to him, and why he had to drag Kylo into it all.

~

 

Kylo decides they need to share a room, as he is the only force-wielder here “at the moment”.

“What do you mean ‘at the moment’?” Hux asks, opening one of his hefty suitcases full of clothing and various other necessities with his bandaged hands, digging through messily it to find a clean pair of pajamas and perhaps socks as he sits on Kylo’s lavish bed, the handmaidens spying on the two from Kylo’s closet door.

“I’m not the only force-wielder in my Palace, but unfortunately the rest are out on an important mission until a few days from now,” Kylo says, his demeanor still scathing, but not at Hux as he sits cross-legged on his vanity bench, his eyes ablaze.

Hux still has no idea why Kylo is so furious, because it’s already been taken care of. By the look on Kylo’s face, however, things have _not_ been taken care of. This is concerning to them both, Phasma especially, who gave Kylo an earful once she heard how reckless he had been.

“When I said ‘Go to him’ I most certainly did not mean ‘go run around in public half-cocked without any weapons except for the force in plain daylight where anyone and everyone could see you!” She raves, losing her professional and calm attitude and lecturing him like an angry mother who caught her son stealing from the cookie jar in the middle of the night when the rest of the house was asleep.

“You could’ve gotten yourself killed! I realize Sir Hux was truly in danger, but come on, your majesty!” She yells, her face furrowed with worry and anger caused by Kylo’s blatant recklessness.

“But Phasma, nothing happened!” Kylo sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose when his words set her off into another rant about how “it doesn’t matter nothing happened, because something could have”. Hux is fighting back laughter, while also feeling sympathetic toward the both of them, because he understands where they’re both coming from.

He has found pajamas, and he quickly strips down to his boxers, stopping the argument between Kylo and Phasma dead in its tracks as Kylo stares at him, blatantly ogling Hux, who notices and flushes, trying to quickly dress himself in embarrassment.

“Kylo, I swear to the heavens, there are plenty opportunities for you to ogle Sir Hux and now is not the time!” Phasma snaps, making Kylo fall out of his Hux-induced ogling stupor, a sour look on his face as he glowers at Phasma for making him concentrate on the conversation instead of Hux. Hux sinks into Kylo’s deliciously comfortable mattress, groaning with delight as he does. It feels like millions of tiny pillows are hugging him all over in the best way, nuzzling into one of the white pillows and finding his nose flooded with Kylo’s scent, making him feel dizzily euphoric and drowsy simultaneously.

“How do you like the bed?” Kylo asks cheerfully, Phasma having stormed out of the room so she could get some air and most likely find a secluded spot in the palace that she could scream at the top of her lungs in. Hux could only moan happily, sleep teasingly tempting him. Kylo laughs that deep, beautiful laugh of his and Hux feels so complete, so happy that it makes him finally fall into slumber’s waiting hands. 

Kylo smiles softly at him from the vanity, waving his hand and signalling the handmaidens to come out of his closet, they all crowd around the bed, trying (and mostly failing) to keep a respectful distance as they gush and coo quietly over Hux, who looks utterly blissful and comfortable, his hair messy as he makes soft noises in his sleep, sprawled in a snug mass of limbs.

“You lot go to bed,” Kylo scolds, without any real scolding in his voice, only light teasing and playfulness as the girls flock out of the room, bursting into a batch of giggles as they file out. Kylo is already ready for bed, his hair brushed out to perfection, wearing his black pair of pajamas as he shuffles carefully into bed with Hux, trying his very hardest not to wake him as the lights slowly shut off.

He nuzzles into Hux lightly, smelling him as he breathes. He smells like clean soap and grass, and slightly like Kylo himself, since he is sleeping in his bed, after all. Kylo marks it as one of his most favorite smells and drifts off into peaceful slumber along with Hux, his arms wrapped around his waist as they dream together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From happy to sad to worse to scary to good again! Hope you guys enjoyed 11 pages of both angst and fluff as well as major plot points! Sorry for rambling in the top notes btw I feel it's necessary to explain\put up markers so people can avoid parts of the chapter that might make them uncomfy. How are you guys doing? Sorry for weird update timing again but I keep on having a mix of procrastination and business that keeps me from writing occasionally...also, I gave Hux a different first name I know I know but I still kept Armitage, just as a middle name he uses\is known as. Also, his first name;
> 
> Ciarán  
> Kieran | Say: key-rawn  
> Ciar means ‘dark’ and the ” at the end indicates ‘small’ so the name means ‘little dark one’. There are several saints of this name in Irish history.
> 
> thought it sort of suited him (not really in this story, but meh.) and also it's Irish. Or at least I hope it's actually an Irish name...
> 
> Kylo's outfit in the early parts of the chapter is partially inspired by this: http://m5.paperblog.com/i/13/133059/lusting-after-christian-diors-haute-couture-g-L-M3rKaA.jpeg but i'm awful at describing clothes :DD
> 
> Also creepy force tentacles ooo mysterious~
> 
> i'll stop now lmao. Thank you all so much for 79 kudos, my goodness! Thank you guys for all the subscriptions, bookmarks, comments, etc, they really do get me going and every time I see a comment I die of happiness a little and also kick my ass into gear so I can get onto the next chapter. There might be spelling errors bc I'm tired and I apologize. Also it might change tense but I'll get to that later. And that one Kylo line reference hehehe pretty smooth right. sfkekegkeka i'm tired and embarrassing anyways, thanks again and I hope you guys enjoyed it!~<3


	8. Mission reports and truths revealed.

Hux wakes up with his face pressed against a firm yet soft...chest. Kylo’s chest, to be exact. He sneakily brushes his ear down Kylo’s toned chest so he can listen to the slow, steady rhythm of Kylo’s heart bumping soothingly in his chest. _Ba thump, ba thump, ba thump_. It makes him sleepy again, but he knows there’s business that needs attending to on both of their sides, so he forces himself up into a sitting position, stretching his limbs which crack as he does. Kylo’s bed is miraculous, and Hux wonders if some supernatural deities made it specially for him, because there’s no other way it would be so perfect and soft.

“Good morning,” Kylo yawns, stretching himself as he stares at Hux who is still struggling to wake up, even though he’s sitting up. Hux stares at the muscles in his arms and back as he does so, watching them roll and trying not to get caught as he does so, in vain, because Kylo can sense this without even needing to try to use the force.

“Oh, look at you trying not to get caught ogling me. I see what you’re doing,” Kylo snorts, teasing Hux with a smug smirk, who doesn’t even try to contest what he says because it would be useless with Kylo’s abilities.

Hux can faintly hear a comm chiming from another room, not his comm because its ring is entirely different, this one is far more melodic and higher in pitch. Kylo quickly jumps off the bed, topless and only wearing gray pajama pants as he slinks out of the door leaving Hux to redress, go to the bathroom and freshen up. His stomach growls and he mentally tells it to be patient.

He quickly dresses into a simple black t-shirt and black jeans, something unknown tempting him to follow Kylo and see where he went. It wins over and he slips through the partially open door, hearing Kylo’s voice faintly speaking to someone, or multiple people, Hux can’t be certain. A wooden door is open in one of the far left rooms and as he approaches the voice gets louder.

“KOR report...KOR report...can any of you hear me, over?” Kylo says, hovering over a circular holo-comm, whose blue image is flickering and unstable, a brief image appearing before a grunt and the sound of someone being hit or knocked over comes over, the static intensifying.

And then a voice comes over, speaking in foreign dialect, one of the few languages Hux is not fluent in, crackly speech like the kind that comes from a vocoder as someone answers Kylo. It drones on for 10 seconds before static interferes again.

“What’s going on down there, over?” Kylo responds, a worried tone in his voice. Hux is unable to see his expression as he hides behind the door.

“ _Favan e dor karuma,”_ Hux is able to make out, even though he has absolutely no idea what it means, the deep voice continues talking, static occasionally interrupting as they converse.

“Are any injured?” Kylo asks, a note of panic in his voice, and receives only half of a response before the static overwhelms the audio and suddenly they’re both left in silence, Hux tip-toeing away as fast as he can.

Kylo mutters a curse before he swings himself back in the doorway of the bedroom.

Hux rushes in the bathroom to finally finish getting ready, brushing his teeth and using the lavatory. He takes a comb from his pocket, planning to slick back his hair, deciding against it because it’s unnecessary now that they live together. He simply combs through it, making it a fraction less of mess than it was.

Kylo has re-entered the bedroom, Hux can tell by his somber footfalls, and then a _whoomph_ as he falls back onto his bed, Hux peeking out of the bathroom doorway hesitantly. Kylo looks worried again, eyebrows furrowed and mouth set into a frown, and Hux doesn’t blame him, even though he didn’t see the transmission he heard it...and what he heard did not sound good.

“Are you okay?” He asks quietly, slowly stepping out from the bathroom doorway, a matching frown on his face as he looks at Kylo’s somber expression.

“My knights...there’s fighting going on...I have no idea what’s happening,” Kylo sighs, staring at Hux sadly.

Hux awkwardly shuffles closer, wrapping his arms around Kylo in an unsure test of a hug. Kylo squeezes back gratefully, nuzzling Hux’s neck and sighing, making goosebumps raise where his breath met the sensitive skin of Hux’s neck.

“I’m sure they’re fine. If you trained them then they’re more than capable, I have no doubt,” Hux mumbles, Kylo squeezing him even tighter in a wordless “thank you”, which Hux returns warmly.

“I know you have plans for today, so I won’t plague you with my issues. If exploring this palace is what you’re planning to do make sure you have your comm so I can find you if you get too lost,” Kylo murmurs, as the hug mutually breaks and they sit down a few feet from each other on Kylo’s bed.

“Meh...exploring can wait and you are by no means plaguing me,” Hux responds sincerely, waving his hand as he does so. Exploring being the last thing on his mind now.

The wedding preparations are all but over and it’s now just almost a week until the wedding itself.

Which is giving Hux anxiety, not because of his own insecurities or anything of the like, rather that a feeling of foreboding has been resting in his being ever since he felt the malice of those tentacles, which he realizes was directed towards Kylo, not himself.

Hux doesn’t even notice Kylo as he stealthily inches over, until he turns and they’re face-to-face once again like that magical night in the palace courtyard. Kylo’s gaze is searing into him, making him steadily fight the urge to fidget where he sits as he feels like Kylo’s eyes are pouring molten hot magma all over him, both inside and out.

“Can I tell you something, Kylo?” Hux queries, slowly raising his head to meet Kylo’s burning hot gaze.

“Anything,” Kylo responds intently.

“You were my first kiss,” Hux admits, not at all embarrassed, just a bit...diffident.

Kylo looks so genuinely touched by this revelation, his mouth forming a small “o” as his eyes shine with astonishment, gratefulness.

“Thank you for trusting me enough for me to be able to do that,” Kylo breathes, unsure of how exactly to vocalize his appreciation for Hux’s surprising all-encompassing trust with him.

“I should be the one thanking you,” Hux laughs, rubbing the back of his neck bashfully, meeting Kylo’s saccharine chocolate eyes again, feeling radiance and adulation reflected back at him.

“So...thank you,” He concludes, swallowing anxiously as he notices there’s very little distance between himself and his god of a prince beside him. Kylo laughs, a small thoughtful thing as he studies Hux.

“It’s so funny how you think of me as so beautiful when you are the most magnificently perfect  creature I’ve laid eyes on in almost thirty years of living,” Kylo whispers, and Hux gasps softly, having difficulty believing, let alone accepting Kylo’s praise.

“Your eyes are both blue and green. How does that even happen? It’s unfair,” Kylo continues in a hushed voice as he stares into Hux’s beautiful eyes. Hux’s heartbeat is thumping loudly in his chest as he struggles to make a comprehensive sentence, let alone say anything at all.

“Hux. My Hux,” Hux hears Kylo say, and euphoria explodes within him like a firework. Kylo’s Hux. The idea of himself being ‘Kylo’s Hux’ is so marvelous to him, so divinely perfect it feels almost holy.

 _“I’m your Hux and you’re my Kylo,”_ he thinks, dazed, and swears to the stars and heavens above he hears Kylo’s voice in the far yet distant reaches of his mind, faint but vehement. _Yes._

Hux never felt like he’d belonged anywhere. Not on Arkanis, not in the First Order, not in the Academy.

But right now sitting in this vast room on this comfortable, lavish bed with a man who cares so deeply for him, in this palace with Phasma and her dry, deadpan snark and Kylo’s handmaidens and their almost teenaged fascination with the both of them and their blooming relationship.

Who would dare forget Millicent, with her strange yet personable face and her rusty engine purrs, her intelligence and understanding of human speech and emotions surpassing most any other beast Hux has come into contact with.

Hux can feel Kylo get ever closer, as he closes his eyes almost like an afterthought when he feels the first soft kiss laid upon him. He runs his fingers through Kylo’s opulent mane of hair to ground himself, remind himself this is real, not a dream, he is most certainly not floating even though it feels like it.

He must be so inexperienced to Kylo, he thinks laughingly as he accidentally knocks foreheads with him, making them both laugh out loud zestfully as they break, rejoin. He feels dizzy again, which is why he feels so much more grateful when Kylo carefully winds his arm around him, as if expecting him to float away like a balloon that floated free of somebody’s grasp.

The comm chimes again, forcing Kylo to break the kiss with genuine but hurried apologies as he rushes back into the other room, Hux absentmindedly staring at what he can see of himself in the reflection of Kylo’s vanity. He looks flushed, younger almost, his lips turning even pinker with the kisses Kylo has bestowed upon him.

He can feel curiosity gnawing at him again, and just as he moves to get up, Kylo comes back in in a rush, any of the sadness he expressed earlier replaced by smouldering fury, well-concealed but still very there.

“What’s wrong?” Hux asks, and Kylo huffs annoyedly through his nose, his eyes almost looking like brown embers as he crosses his arms across his chest.

“It’s the Order. With that shrivelled-up bag of ashes,” Kylo snarls, and Hux feels his blood run cold, trying desperately to push his fear back, back away from the surface where Kylo can so easily see it. He had forgotten Kylo didn’t know what army he was the General _of_.

“They’re the ones that are intervening with my Knights and their mission,” He hisses, hands balled up into fists as he tries (and fails) to bring in his temper. To try to further calm himself he starts brushing through his hair, silently muttering angrily, Hux hearing a few explicit words tossed in as well.

Hux is at a loss for words, all he can do is grasp the blankets on Kylo’s bed for dear life and stare blankly at the wall, busily gnawing at the inside of his cheek as he does so. _“What now?”_ he asks himself, and doesn’t receive an answer.

“What’s wrong, dear?” Kylo murmurs, calmed down now by at least a fraction. He notes Hux’s anxious expression and the fact he’s gnawing at the inside of his mouth.

“Nothing! Absolutely nothing,” Hux lies poorly, knowing it’s unconvincing and wanting to scream because of it. When Kylo scowls at him he thinks he actually will scream.

No...You’re a General, for Kriff’s sakes, your whole career _is_ getting yourself together and keeping complete and total composure. You can do this, he tells himself.

“How unfortunate….are your Knights all right?” Hux manages, sounding clipped, almost. This time it sounds much more convincing, but even then he doesn’t know if it’s enough for Kylo’s miraculous sense of lie-detecting.

“Yes, but it still makes me so angry. The Order has been a thorn in my side for damn-near four years now. Admittedly, I’m more tired than angry,” Kylo sighs, and he does look tired, his eyes showing it prominently, which is a rarity for him. Hux would be too if he were on the receiving end of the Order, instead of one of the many people behind it.

Except he isn’t behind it...not anymore, at least. Arguably, he never was. It was what his father wanted, not him. He’s been coming to the slow realization peace can never be attained from disorder, in fact, it only causes more disorder. It’s a devastating blow, to realize he’s been spending half of his life fighting for a cause that is most likely just going to all fail miserably and explosively in the end.

Also most likely resulting in the death of most of the Order’s officers, and himself as well. As for Snoke, he could care less. He was going to die of old age eventually, or simply be killed by the growing Resistance, headlined by none other than Kylo’s mother, Hux realizes.

Leia Organa. The same Leia Organa that had a massive part in destroying the Empire. He has always immensely admired her ferociousness in battlefield and war strategics, not even to mention her capable leadership abilities. Not to mention her astounding courage, and most of all, hope. Something he’s never truly believed in, but now he’s rethinking most of his stances, especially that one.

But now he has to be realistic. What happens if Kylo finds out about him? Will everything be ruined? Will Kylo kill him, or turn him in to the Resistance? Will his deflection from everything he’s ever known and been taught to believe in be in vain? Hux doesn’t know, doesn’t even have an inkling of the answers to his questions.

 _Even if Kylo doesn’t, Snoke will most likely kill you_ , he grimly reminds himself. At this point he has two options; giving himself away, but promising Kylo he no longer believes in what the Order believes in, and that he wants to help fight against it, or getting found out when Kylo stumbles across something of his he shouldn’t have, most likely ending in a much worse confrontation.

He’s so deep in thought he hasn’t even noticed Kylo has left the room, until his name is called by him when he returns, leaning in the doorway and holding….oh no.

Kylo’s expression is that of many emotions mixed in a boiling pot. Hurt, shock, a tinge of anger, and worst of all...betrayal. He holds up Hux’s comm with the last message from Snoke repeating, Hux despising his shrivelled face increasingly more as it does so.

“Would you care to explain yourself, Sir General Hux of The First Order?” Kylo asks, sounding like he was on the verge of crying. _No no no no no._ Tears line his eyes as he stares soberly at Hux, like he so desperately wants to believe what he has just found is some sort of sick joke, or a lie.

“Kylo, please, listen to me. I know how bad this looks, and it is bad,” Hux desperately sputters, while Kylo looks at Hux as if he had fatally wounded him, a warm tear slipping down his face and cooling as the truth settles in.

“But I don’t belong to them anymore. I don’t believe in their cause anymore, I believe in you and your cause,” He continues, hating how utterly wrecked his voice sounds, how it cracks throughout his sentence.

“How do I know you’re not lying to me?” Kylo whispers, Hux catching a brief flicker of something other than pain in his eye, something that seems just the slightest bit like optimism.

“You can look for yourself. In my mind. You’ll see my heart’s true intentions,” Hux implores, and he can feel Kylo do just that as he reaches his arm out. Hux can feel the force flickering through about his memories, his feelings. It’s a strange sensation, that feels almost like something is tickling his brain.

It disappears as soon as it had come, and Kylo stares at him wordlessly for a second, before taking the comm and crushing it in his hands, wires crackling and sparking as what’s left of the machine falls in a mangled heap on the floor.

“Why would you commit high treason against them?” Kylo murmurs, stepping closer to Hux, who feels relief in waves across his body, making him so happy he could cry. A few tears of joy do actually fall from his eyes when he utters

“Because _I love you_ , Prince Kylo Amidala-Organa,”

It feels like a curse has been lifted off of Hux, like a stifling weight has just disappeared as Kylo gapes at him, and Hux simply laughs, still crying just the slightest bit.

“I’ve loved you since I first set eyes on you. It’s only gotten stronger as I’ve been learning all about you,” Hux confesses, and now Kylo is tearing up for another reason now, before he quite literally _launches_ himself at Hux, bowling them both over on the bed as he traps him within the vice grip of his hug.

“I love you too, Hux. I’ve been wanting to tell you for so long now,” Kylo laughs with total euphoria from where he is atop him, the noise sounds so free, and in this moment Hux realizes they’re both free.

To be with each other, to love each other. This revelation is sinking into Hux belatedly as all inhibitions go out the window and he grabs Kylo by his collar and kisses him. In between breaks for air he frantically peppers Kylo’s face with kisses, repeatedly whispering “I love you,” into his skin with every kiss, as if trying to cover every inch of Kylo with his adulation.

They both stop in their tracks as they hear Phasma clearing her throat awkwardly, as she sits in the doorway with her mask off trying to give them some sort of privacy as she looks away.

“My apologies for interrupting you, my lords, but the chef wanted me to inform you breakfast is ready in the downstairs dining room,” She says, sounding a bit flustered. Hux would be too if he had been the one walking on his boss kissing somebody.

The image makes him cringe, before he realizes with peace of mind he no longer has a boss. He’s his own boss now.

“We’ll be down in a minute,” Kylo responds quickly, before pulling Hux back into the kiss. He feels the tiniest bit sorry for Phasma as she sighs with vexation before vacating the doorway and leaving them to their makeout.

Hux can’t remember another day in his life where he’s felt this whole, elated. Something jumps on the bed and chirps at the two of them, making them both break to meet the dark inquiring eyes of Millicent, who doesn’t seem to understand what they’re doing. Her genuine look of bewilderment makes them both burst out in boisterous laughter, seemingly making her even more bewildered at their response.

She jumps on Kylo’s back and curls up there, effectively trapping the both of them in their position without even intending to, not that Kylo would usually mind, but he doesn’t want the food to get cold, so he reaches behind himself and carefully slides her off his back, receiving an indignant meow in return. They both quickly get up and try to make themselves presentable, before quickly rushing down stairs with Millicent at their heels, the intoxicating aroma of breakfast leading them where they need to go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys...my laptop charger is slowly dying, so I might be unable to update until I get a new one, which if my estimation is correct will take 2, maybe even three or more weeks unfortunately. So I guess this might be a mini-hiatus. My apologies, I didn't expect this to happen at all. Of course this happens when the plot is just getting interesting... Sorry again. maybe if I'm lucky I'll be able to write the next chapter as well before it totally craps out on me.
> 
> Anyways, I know this was initially meant to be a slow burn romance, but I'm (obviously) not good at that. To be fair they are still in the beginnings of their relationship, but yeah. Finally we got these two saying "I love you" and plot! And emotions and stuff! And Millicent being cute! Anyways, I hoped you guys enjoyed this chapter.  
> (When I was writing the scene where Hux feels free all I could think about was Dobby and I still can't stop laughing) (Master has given Hux a Kylo...Hux is freee~)


	9. Stuck-up politicians and of mothers.

Kylo has been exhausting himself for a solid two days now. When he isn’t scuttling about the Palace, he’s bent over a datapad, usually squinting at it in the dark, silhouetted form shifting across the walls. Hux always feels like a chiding parent when he scolds him for doing that.

“It’s exceptionally bad for your eyes,” He huffs one night, wincing as Millicent gets a little too aggressive in her kneading of his leg, feeling a sharp claw poke through his pajama pants and into the meat of his thigh. 

“I know, I know,” Kylo sighs, lightly banging his head on the desk, before turning the datapad off, bathing the room in pure black and shuffling back into warmth of the bed with Hux right beside him. 

Millicent dislikes this immensely, as she was just getting into her kneading, but apparently she likes sleeping atop Hux’s stomach a bit more, so she forgives them both. She  _ is _ very generous, after all.

Hux still has a heavy feeling in his gut that Kylo doesn’t completely trust him after the bombshell a few days ago. He doesn’t blame him, if that is the case, but how can it be when he looked through Hux’s thoughts, his emotions? He files it away to anxiety and leaves it in the corner where it belongs, forcing it back whenever it tries to ooze over his better thinking like the toxic sludge it knows it is.    


He needs his sleep, as Kylo has informed him that his Knights are returning after a very tedious but successful mission. He was practically shining like the sun when he received the news over his commlink, his grin brighter than any lightbulb Hux had ever seen as his eyes glittered like prized ambers, mouth moving a thousand miles a minute as he congratulated his warriors with pride.

From what limited information he has been given, Hux is aware they are all exceptionally strong force-wielders from all walks of life and varying species, all personally trained by Kylo and Phasma both. Hux has always been curious to see Phasma in the fray, see her fighting style and battle techniques. One day, perhaps. 

Even though Kylo has destroyed his comm, Hux knows deep within himself that Snoke is still actively trying to contact him. He knows how thin the decrepit creature’s patience is, and he fears what will happen when he finally realizes he will not be able to contact him. 

Hux has been on the receiving end of Snoke’s violent wrath only twice, from those limited experiences alone he knows how vile and cruel his temper is. However, as afraid as he is, if he dare even  _ touch _ Kylo with one of his bony pointed fingers, he’ll find himself without hands...and a head. 

 

~

 

 

The weather has been making Hux increasingly miserable, as he has almost always been used to cold, or at the very least, cold weather or temperatures. Arkanis most certainly was not warm, nor was the interior of Star Destroyers. He feels like he has a cloud that rains fire instead of water following him around at all moments and he despises it.

“Take a cold bath,” Kylo suggests, adjusting his wide-brimmed reading glasses as he languidly stretches in his plum-colored lounge chair and reads a green covered novel off of one of his many full bookcases.

He is wearing only black casual pants and Hux is fighting the urge to ogle his chest yet again, trying to focus on his face and finding his resolve slipping as he admires his fiancee’s physique. 

As of late he has been playing a secret game where he makes up constellations with the vast supply of beauty marks laden all across Kylo’s body. He has also been trying to count them, and he’s not entirely sure how many he has in all, but he is sure the number is over 50.

“Or you can lose some clothes,” Kylo innocently murmurs, making an over-exaggerated shrug motion and leering at him, draping himself so he looks at Hux upside down as his glasses slowly descend down the bridge of his nose. Hux just sighs, shakes his head and laughs. 

“I’m sure you’d love that,” He quips, sliding off of the bed and briskly walking into the bathroom, hearing Kylo mumble “Yes I would,” before he smiles and closes the door. He is still learning how the bathtub works, all the knobs and handles and such. If he doesn’t nearly freeze himself he’ll scald himself, so he almost always reluctantly asks an very over eager Kylo to help him out.

He turns one of the white and gold handles and when the water isn’t too freezing or practically boiling, he finds a suitable in-between temperature and relaxes. He doesn’t even need to open his eyes to see Kylo has snuck in, mainly because the door had released a very small creak as it was opened.

“What are you doing in here?” Hux amusedly queries as Kylo situates himself right next to the tub on the bathroom floor, sitting cross-legged and staring at Hux as he soaks. Kylo doesn’t answer, perhaps making an excuse or just not bothering to make one as he tilts his head and studies Hux. 

“Enjoying the view,” Kylo grins before Hux can ask, and reaches an arm up to clasp his hand in Hux’s, which is dangling off of the side of the porcelain tub. Kylo’s reading glasses are cock-eyed and it makes him look even more adorable, as he admires Hux with a goofy grin on his face.

“Are you now?”

“Mmmhm,” 

Kylo takes Hux’s hand and nuzzles his face against the back of it, much like Millicent when Hux pets her. He admires the paleness, and the many blue green veins, not even to mention his favorite part; the freckles. It would be a lot more soothing if Kylo’s glasses weren’t digging into his hand, but it still feels damn good. 

Kylo flips his hand over, sighing happily before pressing a soft kiss against his wrist, where another tree of veins lead into the rest of his arm. Hux feels so relaxed that he isn’t sure if he’s still in water or if he’s simply melted. He doesn’t care either way. 

“Love you, Ciarán,” Kylo sighs against the skin of his arm, which he is burying his face in. For the strangest reason, Hux has the urge to douse him with a handful of water, but decides it can wait until he gets his next sentence out.

“I love you too, Kylo,” Hux murmurs, before bringing Kylo’s face up and kissing him softly, but passionately. He always tries to confirm, or at the very least, convey his words with his kisses, to further them with an act.

When he pulls away it looks like Kylo has stars in his eyes, twinkling little lights flickering about in his irises, which is why he feels a bit guilty when he actually does splash water on him, effectively knocking him face-first out of his stupor.

“Hey!” Kylo snorts, his glasses falling onto the floor as he indignantly gets up and gives Hux a taste of his own medicine. It continues on like this, until Kylo slips, tumbling over the rim of the tub and right onto Hux, soaking himself in the process. 

They’re both laughing so hard that tears roll down their faces now, the sound of it reverberating across the walls of the bathroom and seeping out of the cracked door, a wave of water splashing over onto the already soaked floor as they try to rearrange themselves so they’ll both fit.

When the laughing fades to occasional giggles, they have one of their “staring contests”, as Hux dubs them, gazing deeply into one another’s eyes in a silent sort of conversation, without the force or spoken words.

“Ahem, sirs?” Phasma’s voice rings out from the doorway, tone flat and face her regular mildly irritated stone mask as she stares impassively at the two. Kylo scrambles out of the tub, another wave of water following him onto the floor as he flops down onto the marble with a wet slap.

“My apologies for...interrupting,” She starts, Hux notices as she lightly rolls her eyes at the last part.

“But the Senators are here now and are expecting the two of you in the downstairs board room,” She finishes, her words hurried as if she wants to leave rather quickly, as if her expression weren’t enough proof of that. Kylo nods and she silently closes the door behind her and departs. 

“What did she think we were doing?” Hux asks, stepping out of the tub and wrapping a towel around himself as Kylo opens the door for him to walk out.

Kylo grins broadly at Hux.

 

~

 

 

Hux isn’t a jealous person. Or, at least, he never was before...he’s never had anything to be jealous of. Not even colleagues when they rose ranks faster than him when he was younger, because he saw how devoted they were and how hard they worked. They deserved it. 

But as he watches these men (and women) giving Kylo lecherous glances and moony eyes from where they lounge in their comfortable chairs he can’t help but be the slightest bit jealous. They haven’t even acknowledged him once, favoring Kylo’s physique instead apparently as he joyously drones on about the upcoming wedding.

“And where are you from, Sir General?” One of the stuffy male politicians asks, rather unenthused as if he were being forced to ask, peering at Hux as he sits on one of the rouge chairs. 

Hux flounders, opening his mouth and closing it wordlessly repeatedly, knowing if he says Arkanis that suspicions will arise.

“Uh-,”

“D’Qar!” Kylo lies cheerfully, expectantly looking at Hux immediately agrees with him. Not suspicious at all, he sarcastically chides himself. 

The politicians titter and sneer at him from behind their hands, whispering cruel things about him most likely to each other as well.

“Kylo, dear, don’t you think you might deserve someone of higher...pedigree?” One of the women murmurs sweetly, much too sweetly, shooting a snide look at Hux while he grinds his teeth silently in his mouth. 

Kylo sneers right back at her, before crossing the room and suddenly kissing Hux deeply, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt as he nearly bruises his mouth with the intensity of the kiss. At first Hux is vibrating confused questions against Kylo’s lips, but then he just lets him do it, marinating in the warm feeling it shoots throughout his veins.

He faintly hears them scoff, a few release outraged noises, but he could give less of a damn as Kylo sweetly pecks his lips, before completely parting. 

“Any other questions?” Kylo angrily pants, leaning on the arm of the chair as Hux reaches a hand up and touches his own lips, which are now lightly smudged with Kylo’s beautiful deep wine colored lipstick. 

They all chorus “No” in unison and Kylo smirks in satisfaction, Hux’s lips quirking up in amusement as well as he eyes the jealous politicians, his gaze telling them what they already know.

_ You’ll never have him. _

 

 

~

 

“Why did you chose D’Qar?” Hux asks, hours after the meeting has adjourned as he lay with Kylo, running his fingers through his thick newly brushed hair, Kylo mumbling something that’s incoherent, but happy as he does so.

“It’s where my mother’s base is,” Kylo responds dreamily, snuggling up closer to Hux’s chest.

“Your mother runs an army?” Hux asks, intrigued staring up at the ceiling in the dim light.

“Yes. The Resistance,” Kylo replies, voice thoughtful as Hux pets him. Hux thinks if Kylo were a lothcat he’d be a very good one.

“What about yours?” Kylo asks hesitantly, knowing the subject of family matters is...tender to Hux. 

“I never knew my birth mother. From eavesdropping when I was a young boy I believe she was a kitchen worker of some sort,” Hux murmurs softly, a tinge of sadness painted in his words. Kylo said nothing further, only listened in intrigued silence.

“Maratelle is my father’s wife, and by connection my mother...I’m not entirely sure if that makes her my stepmother-never mind,” he cuts himself off from rambling about it, set on giving Kylo an direct answer.

“She was kind. Far kinder than he was, anyway. I don’t want to remember everything, because almost everything is tainted with  _ him, _ ” He scowls, but then his face softens again.

“She’d encourage me when he wasn’t around. Let me do things he considered ‘weak’. My best childhood memories are with her,” He finishes with a sigh, leaving the room in stifling silence.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Kylo asks, voice sounding rather small for him.

“Not right now,” Hux smiles, appreciating the fact he asked. 

“Okay. We should sleep, the Knights are getting back in two days,” Kylo reminds with a long yawn, nuzzling into Hux’s chest with a contented hum. Hux simply releases a small noise in affirmation, closes his eyes and enjoys their shared warmth.

In the distance, Hux can hear Millicent release a meow that echos through the palace, and then Kylo’s handmaidens squee and fawn over the feline’s cuteness. He huffs out a laugh before slowly seeping into sleep.

 

~

 

Kylo is peering out of a window, practically vibrating with the force of his excitement as he constantly asks Hux if he sees a woman.

“Well? Do you?”

“I see someone in the dis-,” Kylo lightly moves him aside and squints at the steadily moving figure, before an infectious grin breaks across his face as he giggles almost crazily.

“PHASMA!” Kylo shrieks like an excited toddler. 

Phasma quite literally breaks the door as she barrels through it with a deafening  _ bang  _ and crack, the mangled wooden heap that remains snaps off of the hinges as she pants with blaster in hand looking for an assassin or expecting to find Kylo dead. Her look turns into one of confusion as she spots Kylo perfectly fine and jumping about the room, before he stops and points at the window.

She approaches, her face illuminated by the afternoon light as her expert eyes train on the figure. Multiple emotions cross her face almost seconds after the last; shock, confusion, disbelief, and then...blinding joy. Her face lights up in a rare but genuine smile as she runs back from where she came.

“Who is she?” Hux asks, watching as Phasma sprints out in the yard, before she and the figure lock eyes and run at full speed at one another, Phasma picking up the smaller woman and spinning her around, both of them laughing as she does so. Hux notices tears in her eyes as well.

“That’s her wife, Naya,” Kylo murmurs, waving back as Naya notices him and waves enthusiastically. She looks like she was producing some unearthly glow with her cheerfulness as Phasma leads her inside of the palace.

“I’m going down to say hello. She can’t often come, seeing as she lives on a very distant planet and works there as well. I offered her work here but she likes what she does there too much, it’s a real shame for Phasma,” Kylo explains softly, looking down at the two of them with an almost fatherly expression.

“I’ll join you in a few minutes,” Hux says, digesting this new information with intrigue. Kylo nods, pecking him on the cheek and rushing out of the door in a flurry of long robes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the wait of this but two things happened; last chapter I told you guys about my laptop charger, which unfortunately came a bit later than expected and then I got sick. Turns out I have strep and I'm miserable, but at least I'm on medicine for it now. Hope you guys are all doing well. 
> 
> I'm going to try to flesh Phasma's character out because I feel like I always sort of neglect her in my fics, so next chapter expect some Phasma backstory and then we'll be meeting the nights. Millicent's random meowing at ungodly hours in the night is based off of things my own cats do lmao. Hope you guys enjoyed it!

**Author's Note:**

> Ok can I just say as a feminine trans guy that Kylo Amidala means so much to me. I love it so much. Anyways, I apologize for disappearing into the void, but recent events (I think we all know what I'm talking about) have made me really upset and unable to write. Among other things, but yeah.
> 
> Also, I want to say something bc I tend to overthink but Hux wasn't forced in any way to be engaged. If he didn't want to be he wouldn't have, and Kylo would've understood. I hope you guys enjoy this! I apologize bc i'm bad at describing things.
> 
> also! I have a few reference pictures.
> 
> Ore's dress: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/ab/4c/4b/ab4c4b7d7fb3710bd750d7d61268b7fe.jpg
> 
> the inside of the palace (kind of): http://millerlistings.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/hr3378490-4.jpg
> 
> and what Theed (the capital of Naboo) looks like!: http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/0/01/Theed-MoaTM.png/revision/latest?cb=20121002233339
> 
> fun fact: Padme did actually have nine handmaidens if i'm reading correctly. Goodness me.


End file.
